Big Win for Security Forces: 10 Maoists Killed in Chhattisgarh Encounter, Including Top Leader
Security forces scored a major victory against Maoists in Chhattisgarh on Thursday. In a fierce encounter in Gariaband district, they neutralised 10 Maoists, including a key leader from the banned CPI-Maoist group. This anti-Maoist operation has dealt a heavy blow to Naxalism in the region.
The action kicked off after intelligence tipped off the forces about Maoists hiding in the dense forests of the Mainpur area. Teams from Gariaband’s E30 unit, the Special Task Force (STF), and the elite COBRA commandos of the CRPF quickly moved in. They launched a successful anti-Maoist operation that caught the rebels off guard.
Among the killed was Modem Balakrishna, also known as Balanna, Ramchandra, or Manoj. At 58, this central committee member of CPI-Maoist hailed from Warangal district in Telangana. He carried a whopping Rs 1 crore bounty on his head. Officials say his death marks a crucial step in wiping out the Naxal threat in Chhattisgarh.
But the day’s successes didn’t stop there. In a separate crackdown in Bijapur district, joint teams arrested 26 active Maoists. Among them, six had a combined bounty of Rs 13 lakh. The operation involved the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Bijapur, police from stations like Gangaloor, Bhairamgarh, Usur, Awapalli, and Tarrem, plus COBRA’s 205 battalion and CRPF’s 196 and 62 battalions.
During these anti-Naxal operations, forces seized dangerous items like explosives, weapons, and banned Maoist propaganda materials. They recovered IEDs, cooker bombs, tiffin bombs, detonators, safety fuses, wires, batteries, and digging tools. Banners, posters, and pamphlets promoting the group’s ideology also fell into their hands.
The arrests happened across different areas: three in Gangaloor, three in Bhairamgarh, eight in Awapalli, eight in Usur, and four in Tarrem. When questioned, the Maoists admitted they planned to plant these IEDs to ambush security forces.
Police have registered cases under the Indian Penal Code and Explosives Act. All 26 accused now face judicial remand as investigations continue.
This comes amid a strong push by security forces to end Naxalism in India’s red corridor states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Telangana. Over the last few months, they’ve made steady progress in neutralising the Maoist menace.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly stressed that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the government aims to completely eradicate Naxalism by March 31, 2026. These operations show they’re on track to make that happen.
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