Eighteen Naxalites, identified as key operatives in the region’s insurgency, were neutralised by security forces in a significant encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. The clash occurred Wednesday in the forested terrain near the Bijapur-Dantewada border during a targeted anti-Naxal operation. By Thursday morning, the casualty count among the militants was confirmed at 18. Among those eliminated was Modiyam Vella, a commander associated with the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), whose involvement in the deadly 2020 Minpa ambush was noted. Vella, who carried an Rs 8 lakh reward, was a crucial figure in the Naxalite hierarchy. The security forces also seized a substantial collection of arms and ammunition, including sophisticated INSAS and AK-47 rifles. The operation sadly resulted in the martyrdom of three DRG personnel and injuries to two others. This year, Chhattisgarh has witnessed the neutralisation of 275 Naxalites, with 246 in the Bastar region, alongside the loss of 23 security personnel in counter-insurgency efforts.
