16 Naxalites killed, two jawans injured in encounter in Chhattisgarh's Sukma

At least 16 Naxalites were killed, and two security personnel sustained injuries in a major anti-Maoist operation in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Saturday, officials said.

The encounter broke out around 8 am in a forest under the Kerlapal police station area, where a joint security team was engaged in an anti-Naxalite operation, according to Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P.

"Bodies of 16 Naxalites have been recovered from the encounter site so far. The operation is still underway," he stated.

Security Forces in Action

Personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched the operation on Friday night based on intelligence inputs about Maoist presence in the area.

Two DRG personnel sustained minor injuries in the exchange of fire but are reported to be in stable condition.

Weapons and Explosives Recovered

Security forces seized a significant cache of firearms and explosives from the encounter site. The recovered items include:

AK-47 rifle

Self-loading rifle (SLR)

INSAS rifle

.303 rifle

Rocket launcher

Barrel grenade launcher (BGL)

Explosive materials

A search operation is still underway to secure the area.

Rising Maoist Casualties in 2024

With this latest operation, a total of 132 Naxalites have been eliminated in separate encounters across Chhattisgarh this year, out of which 116 were killed in the Bastar division, which includes seven districts like Bijapur.