A day following the significant encounter between security forces and Naxals in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker, Baster Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sundarraj Pattilingam issued an appeal to Maoists in the state on Wednesday. He urged the remaining members of the outfit to surrender themselves and integrate into mainstream society. The Tuesday encounter left 29 Naxalites dead, making it the largest encounter in Chhattisgarh’s history. The autopsy of the 29 corpses is underway.
Providing updates on the casualties, IG Bastar, informed, “Following yesterday’s encounter, two of our personnel were transferred to Raipur for treatment, Among the injured are a BSF inspector, a DRG soldier, and another BSF inspector. Two of them are now out of critical condition, while one is still in recovery. They are receiving advanced medical care in Raipur. Additionally, other injured personnel are undergoing treatment at their respective locations”.
Regarding the operation, IGP Sundarraj stated, “The forces deployed for the operation yesterday have seized a considerable cache of arms and ammunitions from the Maosist. We are proceeding cautiously with the identification process of the 29 Maoists who were neautralised, as there are several parameters to consider. All the Maoists are affiliated with a banned outfit. I urge the remaining members of the outfit to surrender themselves and integrate into mainstream society”.
The fierce gun battle in Kanker resulted in the deaths of 29 Naxalities, making it the largest in the state’s history, in terms of Naxal fatalities. With this incident, the toll of Nxal deaths in the Bastar region has reached 79 since the beginning of the year.
READ | 29 Naxals Killed In Biggest Ever Encounter In Chhattisgarh, Bastar Toll Climbs To 79 This Year
Reacting to the encounter, Union Home Minister Amit Shah lauded the success of the security forces in combating Naxalism. He, in conversation with ANI, said, “Security forces have achieved a major success in Chhattisgarh yesterday. Under Prime Minister Barendra Modi’s leadership, the BJP government has been steadfast in its campaign against Naxalism and terrorism. This momentum intensified after the formation of the BJP govt in Chhatisgarh.”
“Since 2014, we have been establishing camps, and over 250 camps have been set up since 2019. In the past three months alone, over 80 Naxalites have been eliminated, and more than 125 have been apprehended,” Shah added further.
Congratulating security forces, Chhattisgarh Deputy CM Arun Sao said, “The successful operation that the armed forces conducted yesterday is historic. I congratulate the security personnel involved in this operation. We are committed to making Bastar naxal-free”.
Notably, this encounter, occurring just ahead of the first phase of the polling in Chhattisgarh, has alarmed the security forces and government to remain on high alert.