16 Maoists killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh; two jawans injured

RAIPUR: 16 Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh on Saturday. Two jawans were left injured in the clash. A joint team of security forces, including officers from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), clashed with the Maoists.

Police went for the operations after receiving a tip-off about Maoist presence in the area. Just three days back, a total of three Maoists were killed in another encounter in the border area between the Dantewada and Bijapur districts. Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai had said that the encounter took place in the forest during a search operation conducted after receiving information about the presence of Maoists in the area.

Last year alone, 219 Maoists were killed in Chhattisgarh. In 2023, 22 people were killed by security forces, and 30 were killed in 2022. According to the Union Home Ministry, 113 people were killed in anti-Maoist operations across the country this year.