Chhattisgarh: 5 Maoists killed in encounter with security forces
At least five Maoist insurgents were killed on Friday during a fierce encounter with security forces in the dense Abujhmad forests, along the Dantewada-Narayanpur border of Chhattisgarh.
The District Reserve Guard and Special Task Force were on a search mission when they were ambushed, leading to a gunfight.
Some bodies have been recovered, but tough terrain and ongoing gunfire have slowed full recovery efforts.
Operation part of larger anti-Maoist drive
This operation is part of a bigger anti-Maoist drive that ramped up after Union Home Minister Amit Shah set a March 2026 deadline to end Left-Wing Extremism.
Abujhmad has long been considered a Maoist base; recent actions include eliminating top leader Nambala Keshava Rao (Basavraj), who had a ₹3.5 crore bounty.
Security teams have also seized large stashes of weapons, signaling growing pressure on insurgent groups as authorities work toward lasting peace in the region.