3 min readBijapurUpdated: Dec 4, 2025 08:53 PM IST
Ten automatic weapons — one Light Machine Gun (LMG), four AK-47 rifles, four 7.62 Self Loading Rifles (SLRs), one 5.56 INSAS rifle — were recovered. (Source: Express Photo)
The number of Maoists gunned down in Chhattisgarh in Wednesday’s encounter, in which three District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans were also killed, has gone up to 18, with six more bodies being recovered, officials said on Thursday.
The encounter, which took place in Bijapur district, left four other jawans injured, and they had been airlifted to Raipur. The four are now said to be out of danger, officials said.
A joint team of DRG from Bijapur and Dantewada, as well as the Special Task Force (STF) and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), had launched an operation based on intelligence inputs on the presence of Maoists, resulting in the encounter.
The encounter broke out at 9 am in the forest area of Potenar and Kachilwar.
Out of the 18 Maoists who were killed, 16 have been identified and have a cumulative reward of Rs 1.30 crore, officials said. While 13 of them were from Bijapur, three were from Sukma. Of the 16, 15 are from Company No 2 of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), an armed wing of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). The other was from Company No 7, officials said.
“Some component of Company 7 is left, but we will neutralise them if they do not surrender,” an official said.
Among the dead Maoists, two were members of the divisional committee — the second-highest state-level body of the Maoists.
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PLGA’s Company No 2 has been involved in several major attacks, including the Jhiram Ghati attack in 2013, when 32 people were killed, including state Congress leaders Mahendra Karma, Nand Kumar Patel, Uday Mudliyar and Vidya Charan Shukla.
“The unit was also involved in the 2020 Minpa ambush [in Sukma district], in which 17 security personnel lost their lives. They were also involved in the Tekalgudem attack [in Bijapur], in which 22 security personnel were killed in 2021. In 2019, two CRPF jawans and a girl were killed in an encounter in the Keshkutul ambush, which was also carried out by them. They were also involved in the 2024 Dharmavaram police camp attack, where 12 jawans were injured,” said Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav.
“Ten automatic weapons — one Light Machine Gun (LMG), four AK-47 rifles, four 7.62 Self Loading Rifles (SLRs), one 5.56 INSAS rifle — were recovered,” said Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range, Sundarraj P.
“Two .303 rifles, four single shot rifles, two indigenously made Barel Grenade Launchers (BGL) and one muzzle loading rifle were also recovered. A radio, scanner, multimeter, hand grenades, safety fuse, Maoist literature, pouches, Maoist uniform, medical supplies, and other material were also seized,” said Dantewada SP Gaurav Rai.
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India.
Expertise and Experience
Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of:
Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages.
Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states.
Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering:
Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements.
Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law.
Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in:
Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel.
Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India.
Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More
