At least 16 Maoists killed, 2 jawans injured in encounter in Chhattisgarh's Sukma; operation under way

NEW DELHI: At least 16 Maoists were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday. Two jawans sustained minor injuries.
The operation is under way in the forest of Upampalli Kerlapal area at the Sukma-Dantewada border, Superintendent of Police, Sukma, Kiran Chavan informed.
"We have recovered 16 bodies of Naxalites and a huge cache of automatic weapons. A search operation is still on. 2 jawans have also sustained injuries, but they are out of danger now. There is the possibility of other Naxalites being killed or injured... More details will be shared once we are done with the identification process of slain Naxalites," Bastar IG Sundarraj P said.

Union home minister Amit Shah reiterated the central government's resolve to "eradicate Naxalism before March 31, 2026."
"Another strike on Naxalism! Our security agencies have neutralised 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 the 31st of March 2026. My appeal to those with arms is that weapons and violence cannot bring change; only peace and development can," he said.

A joint anti-Maoist operation by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) led to an exchange of fire on Friday. Officials said that the operation was launched based on specific intelligence about Naxal presence in the Kerlapal area under Sukma police station limits.
The joint security team launched a search operation on March 28, with intermittent gunfire continuing since the early hours of March 29. Meanwhile, security forces are conducting a thorough search of the encounter site and the surrounding forested area.
Sukma, one of the worst-affected districts in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, has witnessed numerous Maoist attacks in the past. Meanwhile, in a separate incident on Friday, a jawan was injured and hospitalized after an improvised explosive Device (IED) planted by Maoists exploded in Narayanpur district.