14 Maoists Killed in Chhattisgarh-Odisha Border Clash: Operation Ongoing

At least 14 Maoists, including two women, were killed in a clash with Chhattisgarh Police near the Odisha border, with the operation still ongoing.

At least 14 Maoists were killed in a clash with Chhattisgarh Police in Gariaband district, near the Odisha border, on Tuesday. Two women Maoists were among those killed on Monday.

One Maoist had a ₹1 crore bounty on their head. The police confirmed that the encounter is still ongoing. The death toll may rise.

Clash Details

The clash began on Monday, resulting in the deaths of two women Maoists and injuries to one CoBRA jawan. Fresh gunfire erupted late Monday night and continued into Tuesday morning in Mainpur, near the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. As a result, 12 more Maoists were killed.

A joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), CRPF, CoBRA, and the Special Operations Group (SOG) from Odisha carried out the operation. This operation commenced on January 19 after intelligence reports indicated that Maoists were hiding in Kularighat forest, near Odisha’s Nuapada district.

Weapons Seized

Security forces recovered a large stockpile of firearms, ammunition, and IEDs, including a self-loading rifle, from the site.

Government’s Crackdown on Maoists

This operation is part of the government’s plan to “end Naxalism” by 2026. Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated this goal after an IED attack on January 6, which killed eight DRG jawans and one driver in Bijapur.

The Maoist attack on security personnel in January was the biggest strike in two years. Maoists also attacked a convoy in Dantewada in April 2023, killing 10 police officers and a civilian driver.