Three Naxalites Killed in Chhattisgarh Encounter: A Blow to Insurgency

Three Naxalites were killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. Among the deceased, one carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh. The encounter occurred days after Home Minister Amit Shah requested Naxalites to surrender. Weapons were seized, and the death toll reached 138 for the year.

In a significant encounter, three Naxalites were killed by security forces on a forested hill in Bijapur district's Indravati National Park area on Saturday morning. The operation, a joint effort by the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, and CoBRA battalions, follows Union Home Minister Amit Shah's call last week for Naxalites to lay down their arms and reintegrate into society.

The operation involved personnel from Bijapur and Dantewada's police units, who engaged in the gunfight at 9 am. Post-encounter, authorities recovered the bodies of three Naxalites, including Anil Punem, a commander carrying a Rs 5 lakh reward. Arms and explosives were also seized during the operation, according to Inspector General Sundarraj P of the Bastar Range.

This encounter increases the total number of Naxalites killed in Chhattisgarh to 138 this year, with 122 occurring in the Bastar region. While the identities of the other two Naxalites are yet to be confirmed, the operation serves as a continued effort to curb insurgency, despite the Union Minister's appeal for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)