11 Women among 17 Maoists killed in Bastar encounter; Amit Shah appeals Maoists to shun violence | Raipur News

RAIPUR: 17 Maoists were killed in an encounter in forests of Sukma district in Bastar division of Chhattisgarh on Saturday. Four security personnel-three from DRG force and a CRPF personnel sustained minor injuries in the encounter and their condition is stated to be stable. The toll of Naxals killed this year touches 132 in Chhattisgarh.
The development comes a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bilaspur district in state.
There are 11 women cadres and a senior rank Maoist commander among those killed and security forces have recovered a large cache of firearms from the encounter site.
Hailing the success of security forces, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said, “Another strike on Naxalism! Out security agencies have neutralized 17 Naxalites and recovered a massive cache of automatic weapons in the operation in Sukma. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji, we have resolved to eradicated Naxalism before Mar 31, 2026.”
Shah further made an appeal to Naxalites, “My appeal to those with arms is that weapons and violence cannot bring change: only peace and development can.”
Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma who also serves as Home Minister, stated, “Both the Chhattisgarh and Central governments do not wish to fire a single bullet. There is a very good surrender policy in place, and Naxals should surrender. There are many states where people who were once Naxals surrendered, contested elections, and won, eventually becoming ministers. He appealed to the Naxals to surrender and also congratulated the security personnel for their efforts.”
Bastar range inspector general of police P Sundarraj said that a joint anti-Naxal operation was launched by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of Sukma and CRPF’s 159 bn that led into a fierce encounter resulting in the death of 17 Maoists.
A senior Maoist commander Kuhdami Jagdeesh alias Budhra, who was serving as secretary of Darbha division and a Special Zonal Committee Member (SZCM), was killed. He was wanted in more a dozen criminal cases in the Sukma district, SP said, adding that seven others were identified.
Calling it a big success, Minister Sharma said that Jagdeesh was key player in Jhiram ambush that killed frontline Congress leaders in May 2013 while he was also involved in 2023 Aranpur IED blast that killed ten jawans. He said that the two main districts of concern now are Sukma and Bijapur, while the situation in other districts are under control.
“Based on specific inputs about presence of Maoists in forests around Gogunda, Nendum, and Upampalli in Kerlapal villages, the operation began early in the morning on March 29 and saw heavy firing from both ends between security forces and Maoists from 8 AM. When the guns fell silent, security personnel recovered 17 Naxal bodies from the site of encounter. They also found a cache of weapons and explosives including AK-47s, SLRs, INSAS rifles, .303 rifles, rocket launchers, BGL launchers

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and explosives,” SP Chavan said.
The injured jawans were immediately evacuated from the encounter site and shifted to hospital.
A total of 132 Naxalites hasave been killed in separate encounters in the state so far this year including 117 Maoists neutralized in Bastar region.
Maoists have recently in a statement admitted that they have lost 78 cadres this year including senior commanders and they also expressed concern that the locations in Bijapur which were once their safe zones, have now become accessible to security forces, making them more vulnerable.
Three Maoists were recently killed in Abujhmarh forests on the borders of Dantewada and Bijapur districts including a SZCM Sudheer who carried Rs 25 lakh bounty.