3 Naxals, police commando killed in encounter in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli
What's the story
Three Naxals have been killed in an encounter with security forces in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. The gunfight, which has been going on for over 24 hours, also resulted in the death of one elite police commando. The incident took place in a forest area when Maharashtra Police's specialized C-60 commando unit launched a counter-insurgency operation on specific intelligence inputs.
Operation details
Operation launched on Wednesday
The operation was launched near Phodewada village on the Gadchiroli-Narayanpur border after receiving intelligence about the presence of members from company number 10 of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). An exchange of fire on Wednesday had also led to busting two Naxalite camps and recovering Naxal belongings. However, due to hostile terrain and dense forest, ultras couldn't be traced, an official told PTI.
Reinforcements and search
Combing operations still on
On Thursday morning, four more C-60 units and a Quick Action Team (QAT) of the Central Reserve Police Force were added to the cordon. Combing and search operations are still on in the area to ensure no other armed cadres are hiding in dense terrain. Further details about recoveries and circumstances leading to the firefight are awaited.
Anti-Naxal efforts
Anti-Naxal drive
The ongoing operation is part of a larger nationwide anti-Naxal drive. Since 2019, over 7,400 Naxals have been arrested and 5,880 have surrendered. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said Left Wing Extremism-related violence has decreased by 88% from 2010 to 2025. In 2025 alone, security forces neutralized 364 Naxals and arrested over a thousand others as part of efforts to curb funding and logistical channels linked to CPI (Maoists).