At least eight Maoists were gunned down on Thursday in a major encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district, police said. The fierce gun battle broke out during a large-scale anti-Naxalite operation launched in the dense forests under Mainpur police station limits.
Raipur Range Inspector General of Police Amresh Mishra confirmed the development, stating that the encounter began when security forces came under fire while advancing through the forest. “Personnel from the Special Task Force (STF), CoBRA commandos of the CRPF, and state police are engaged in the operation. Intermittent exchange of fire is still underway. As per initial reports, at least eight Maoists have been neutralised,” the IGP said.
According to officials, the bodies of some Maoists, along with weapons and ammunition, have been recovered from the site, though a detailed search operation is still in progress. The thick forest terrain and poor connectivity are posing challenges, but security forces have cordoned off the area to prevent any escape.
This is one of the most significant anti-Maoist operations in Gariaband in recent years, highlighting the increased pressure being mounted by security forces in the state. The operation is believed to have targeted a Maoist group active in the Mainpur-Madhya Pradesh border region, which has long been a strategic corridor for Naxalite movement.
The latest encounter comes amid a series of setbacks for Maoists in Chhattisgarh. On Wednesday, 16 cadres, including women members, surrendered in Narayanpur district, citing disillusionment with the Maoist ideology and anger over atrocities committed against innocent tribals. Just a day earlier, on Tuesday, police in Kanker district killed a Maoist identified as Masa — a member of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) and a wanted cadre carrying a reward of ₹8 lakh.
Police officials say these successive operations and surrenders reflect the growing success of the state’s anti-Maoist strategy, which combines sustained security pressure with rehabilitation schemes to encourage cadres to lay down arms.
Chhattisgarh, particularly the Bastar division, has remained one of the worst-affected regions in India’s decades-long Maoist insurgency. However, with increasing coordination between central forces like CoBRA and state police, authorities believe the Maoist network is steadily weakening.
Further details on the identities of the Maoists killed in Gariaband are awaited, as the operation is still ongoing and search teams continue to comb the area.
