12 Naxals Killed In Gunfight Along Chhattisgarh-Odisha Border

In a joint operation, security forces killed 12 Naxals along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border, increasing the total number of neutralized Naxals to 14 in two days.

An AI impression of an anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

As many as 12 Naxals were killed on Tuesday in a shootout with security forces in Gariaband, along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. The joint operation was carried out by Chhattisgarh Police, Odisha Police, CRPF, and  Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).

With this, the total number of Naxals gunned down by security forces in the area in two days has risen to 14. On Monday, two women Naxals were killed and a CoBRA jawan sustained injuries during an encounter in Chhattisgarh. The clash was part of a broader operation, which saw further violence into the early hours of Tuesday.

A security official confirmed that another exchange of gunfire occurred late Monday night and into Tuesday morning in a forest area near the Mainpur police station, located along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border. This resulted in the deaths of 12 more Naxalites.

The operation, which involved a joint force of District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Chhattisgarh, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), CoBRA personnel, and Odisha’s Special Operation Group (SOG), was launched on the night of January 19. Intelligence had indicated the presence of Maoists in the Kularighat reserve forest in Chhattisgarh, just five kilometres from the Odisha district of Naupada.

During Monday’s encounter, two women Naxalites were neutralized, and a significant haul of weapons, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including a self-loading rifle, was recovered from the scene. The official added that the number of Maoist casualties may rise as the operation continues.