A suspected Maoist’s body was recovered on Monday amid a massive anti-Naxal operation along the Karregutta hills on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, taking the toll during the current offensive to four.
Security forces say they found the Maoist’s body on the hills, along with a .303 archaic rifle. All four Maoists killed so far are women.
In a related development on Sunday, CRPF assistant commandant Sagar Borade suffered injuries during the operation and was airlifted to AIIMS on Monday. He is in a stable condition.
Two Special Task Force (STF) jawans also suffered injuries in an IED blast on Sunday. So far, seven jawans have sustained injuries in IED blasts during the operation.
The operation, Mission Sankalp, began on April 21 and involves the mobilisation of 24,000 troops, including those from the Indian Air Force (IAF), to the inter-state border. It is still underway.
The forces had earlier said key Maoist leaders are holed up in the hills, safeguarded by their strongest military formation, Battalion 1 of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army, the armed unit of the banned (Maoist).
In a statement on Tuesday, the Chhattisgarh police said, “Based on certain facts and our knowledge so far, senior Maoist leaders have either been killed or suffered injuries in the encounter. However, due to difficult geographical conditions, the security forces have not been able to recover the bodies of all the injured or killed Naxalites.”
Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, said, “Despite difficult geographical conditions and numerous challenges, the security forces are carrying forward this decisive operation against Left Wing Extremism with full commitment and determination. Many hideouts and bunkers have been destroyed.”
“Thousands of kilograms of explosive material/ration material/medicines, items of daily use and detonators were recovered from Naxal hideouts and bunkers,” he said.
The 24,000-strong troops comprise jawans from the central and state forces – District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Bastar Fighters, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), an elite unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and CRPF jawans.
This year, 129 Maoists have been gunned down in the Bastar region, while 146 Maoists have been killed in Chhattisgarh overall. A total of 219 Maoists were killed last year in the state, including 217 in Bastar.
