Sukma-Dantewada Border: In a significant victory for security forces, 16 Maoists were killed and two jawans sustained injuries during a fierce encounter in the Upampalli-Kerlapal forest along the Sukma-Dantewada border in Chhattisgarh. The operation, launched late Friday night, was based on intelligence inputs about Maoist presence in the region.
The gunfight broke out in the early hours of Saturday under the Kerlapal police station limits, involving a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Officials confirmed that 16 bodies have been recovered so far, and the operation is still underway.
Amit Shah’s Warning to Naxals
Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the security forces for their success and reiterated the government’s firm resolve to wipe out Naxalism by March 2026.
“Another strike on Naxalism! Our security agencies have neutralized 16 Naxalites and recovered a massive cache of automatic weapons in an operation in Sukma. Under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, we are resolved to eradicate Naxalism before March 31, 2026. My appeal to those with arms is that weapons and violence cannot bring change; only peace and development can,” Shah posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Ongoing Anti-Naxal Operations
This latest operation follows a major encounter in February, when 31 Maoists were killed in a gunfight in Bijapur’s Indravati National Park, marking one of the deadliest blows to Maoist insurgency in recent years.
