Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh) [India], December 3 : A total of 12 Maoists have been killed in an exchange of fire during an anti-Naxal operation along the Bijapur-Dantewada border in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, officials said on Wednesday.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bastar range Sundarraj P told ANI that three District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans were killed in the line of action, while two others sustained injuries and were safe.
During the operation, the authorities also seized SLR rifles, .303 rifles and other arms and ammunition.
"Around 5-5:30 in the evening, 12 Naxal bodies were recovered. Additionally, SLRs, INSAS rifles, .303 weapons, and ammunition were seized. During this operation, we lost three of our brave personnel from Bijapur DRG. Two others who sustained injuries were immediately evacuated and are now safe. Search operations in the surrounding areas are underway, and further updates will be shared once the search operation concludes," Sundarraj said.
A joint search operation was launched in the West Bastar Division area by teams of DRG Dantewada-Bijapur, STF, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).
"Anti-Naxal operations are actively underway in Bastar. On December 3, in the border areas of Bijapur and Dantewada, acting on specific inputs, DRG Bijapur, STF CoBRA, and CRPF launched an operation. During the operation, heavy exchange of fire took place between the Naxals and security forces," Sundarraj said.
Earlier, Police said reinforcement teams had been deployed and that the area remained cordoned off as the operation continued.
Further details are awaited.
Meanwhile, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has completed a year-long strategic expansion into the dense and previously inaccessible Abujhmad region of Chhattisgarh, sealing what is believed to be the last major interstate movement corridor used by Naxal insurgents.
The latest milestone in this operation came on November 28 with the establishment of the Lanka Company Operating Base (COB), located around 135 km from Narayanpur.
This is the ninth camp set up by the ITBP and Chhattisgarh Police in under three months, marking a rapid and coordinated push along the Orchha-Lanka axis, once regarded as a fortified Naxal sanctuary.