A major success was achieved by security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district on Wednesday as an encounter with Naxalites resulted in the elimination of two high-value targets. These Naxalites carried a combined bounty of 35 lakh rupees. The clash took place in the Banda Hill forests under the Madanwada police station, during an anti-Naxal operation by a combined team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
The operation commenced on Tuesday night following the receipt of intelligence concerning the presence of senior Maoist figures in the area. Amidst heavy rain on Wednesday afternoon, the Naxalites opened fire on the forces while the forces were encircling the Banda Hill region near Retegaon village. The security forces responded with retaliatory fire. Once the encounter ceased, the bodies of the two Naxalites were discovered during a search of the forest.
The slain Naxalites were identified as Vijay Reddy, a member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, and Lokesh Salame, a member of the Divisional Committee. Reddy had a 25 lakh rupees reward on his head, and was also wanted in the neighboring state of Maharashtra. Salame carried a 10 lakh rupees reward. The police are now searching for the associates of the deceased Naxalites. According to police sources, Reddy was a key Maoist leader within the Rajnandgaon-Kanker border division, with significant activity in the area bordering the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.
Up to this point in the year, security forces have killed 229 Naxalites across Chhattisgarh, with 208 of these deaths occurring within the Bastar division. This includes the districts of Bijapur, Bastar, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, and Dantewada. District Superintendent of Police Y.P. Singh stated that the encounter occurred during a search operation, resulting in the elimination of high-ranking Naxalites.