First encounter this year: Security forces kill 14 Maoists in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: Security forces kill 14 Maoists in Chhattisgarh encounter. The Maoists were killed in two separate encounters in the Sukma and Bijapur districts. This is the first encounter between Maoists and security forces this year.

The operation against the Maoists was led by the District Reserve Guard. 12 killed were from South Sukma. Two were killed in Bijapur. SP Kiran Chauhan confirmed that all the Maoist members of the Konta Area Committee in Sukma were killed in the operation.

Vetti Manglu alias Mukka, the secretary of the Konta Area Committee, a prominent member of the Maoist organisation, was also among the dead. Vetti Manglu was the mastermind of the IED blast in Konta last June. ASP Akash Rao Giripunje was killed in the blast that day.

The dead were concentrated in the Konta and Kistaram areas. This was a stronghold of the Maoists for decades. This is where the stage was set for the growth of Maoist leaders like Hidma, Ramanna and Barsa Deva. This area was also a major route for Maoist infiltration into the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that the Maoists will be wiped out from the country by March 2026. More than 500 Maoists have been killed in the state alone since 2024.