In a major strike on security forces, Naxals detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing 60 to 70 kilograms in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Monday, killing eight District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel and their civilian driver. This marks the most significant attack on security forces in the state in the last two years.


The explosion occurred near Ambeli village under the Kutru police station area around 2:15 pm, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said, as per news agency PTI. The DRG personnel, a specialised anti-insurgency unit primarily comprising local tribal recruits and surrendered Naxalites, were returning in a Scorpio vehicle after a three-day anti-Naxalite operation conducted along the borders of Dantewada, Narayanpur, and Bijapur districts.


The IED blast created a crater more than 10 feet deep, splitting the concrete road. Visuals from the site, located around 70 kilometres from Bijapur district headquarters and 400 kilometres from state capital Raipur, showed the vehicle completely destroyed, with debris scattered, parts of the SUV hanging on nearby trees, and dismembered bodies covered in plastic sheets, PTI reported.






Inspector General Sundarraj P confirmed that the operation prior to the attack resulted in the elimination of five Naxalites, including senior cadres of the PLGA (People's Liberation Guerrilla Army), while one DRG head constable lost his life. "After the operation, the DRG personnel were returning to their base when the attack occurred," Sundarraj added.


Deputy Inspector General of Police (south Bastar) Kamlochan Kashyap stated that the powerful IED was likely planted long ago. "Preliminary investigation suggests the wires connected to the device were deeply buried, with grass growing over the site. A 150-metre-long wire connected to the trigger was recovered during inspection," he said, as quoted by PTI. Kashyap admitted to lapses in security measures, though he did not provide further details.


This was the first major assault in 2025, coinciding with the Centre's intensified efforts to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) by March 2026.


Union Home Minister Amit Shah reaffirmed his commitment to eliminate Naxals from the country by March 2026 as he asserted that the sacrifices made by those killed by the Naxals would not be in vain.  


"I deeply mourn the loss of the brave DRG soldiers in the IED blast in Bijapur (Chhattisgarh). My heartfelt condolences extend to the families of these fallen heroes. It is beyond words to express the depth of my grief, but I assure you that the sacrifices of our soldiers will not be in vain. We will triumph over Naxalism in India by March 2026," he remarked in a post on ‘X’ in Hindi.






Chhattisgarh Governor Ramen Deka condemned the attack, terming it a "heinous crime."


Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai asserted that Naxalites were frustrated with ongoing counter-insurgency efforts. "The martyrdom of jawans will not go in vain. Our fight to end the menace will continue strongly," Sai said in a statement, as per PTI. He extended condolences to the bereaved families, adding, "Naxalites have resorted to cowardly acts out of desperation. I pray for the departed souls to rest in peace."


This attack bears similarities to a previous assault on 26 April 2023 in Dantewada, where ten police personnel and a civilian driver were killed when Naxals targeted a convoy with an IED.


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5 Naxalites Gunned Down In Encounter In Chhattisgarh's Bastar


This comes as the number of Naxalites killed in an encounter with security forces in the Bastar region has risen to five following the recovery of another body on Monday, police officials said, as per news agency PTI.


The gunfight occurred on Saturday evening in a forested area of south Abujhmaad, along the border of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts, during an anti-Naxalite operation conducted by a joint team of security personnel. Initially, four Naxalites were found dead on Sunday, with a fifth body discovered later.


Among those killed are two women, police confirmed. District Reserve Guard (DRG) Head Constable Sannu Karam also lost his life in the encounter. A search operation is ongoing in the area.


The anti-Naxalite operation involved personnel from the DRG of Narayanpur, Bastar, Kondagaon, and Dantewada districts, along with the Special Task Force (STF). The operation began on Friday.


The identities of the deceased Naxalites are yet to be confirmed. Preliminary information suggests that senior cadres from the PLGA (People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army) Platoon No. 32 of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of Maoists are among the deceased, a police official said, according to PTI.


Automatic weapons, including an AK-47 rifle and a self-loading rifle (SLR), were recovered from the encounter site, the official added.


Last year, security forces neutralised 219 Naxalites in various encounters across the state, according to police data.