At least 14 Maoists were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh on Saturday, according to officials. The incidents occurred during an extensive anti-Naxal operation in the Bastar range, where security personnel later recovered the bodies of two Maoists from Bijapur district and 12 from Sukma district.

The operation was launched following specific intelligence inputs regarding the presence of armed Maoists in the southern parts of Bastar. District Reserve Guard (DRG) teams were deployed, and intermittent exchanges of fire began at around 5:00 AM in Bijapur and 8:00 AM in Sukma. Security forces also recovered a large cache of weapons, including AK-47 rifles, INSAS rifles, and SLR rifles, from the encounter sites.

Earlier in the day, security forces had killed two Maoists in a separate encounter in Bijapur during another DRG-led search operation in the southern region of the district. According to Bastar Range Inspector General of Police P. Sundarraj, intermittent firing continued as the search operation progressed, and the bodies of the two Maoists were later recovered from the site.

Meanwhile, officials highlighted that 2025 has been a historic and decisive year for the Bastar range, with major progress in security, peace, and development. Intelligence-driven operations have led to the dismantling of top Maoist leadership, large-scale recovery of weapons, and the surrender and rehabilitation of senior cadres, laying the groundwork for long-term stability.

IGP Sundarraj stated that the strengthened security environment has significantly boosted development and public welfare across the region. Improvements in roads, communication, healthcare, and education, along with the effective delivery of government welfare schemes in remote areas, have contributed to the region’s growing stability and progress.