Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district witnessed a major anti-Naxal operation, resulting in the elimination of 18 Maoist insurgents, including a prominent commander. The exchange of fire occurred in the forest areas straddling the Bijapur and Dantewada districts, following a coordinated security operation.
Authorities confirmed on Thursday that the number of neutralized Naxalites reached 18 after six additional bodies were recovered. Among the slain was Modiyam Vella, a commander of the PLGA’s Company Number 2, who was known to be involved in multiple deadly attacks. His criminal history includes the 2020 Minpa ambush, where 17 security personnel lost their lives, and he had a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head.
Security forces also recovered a significant quantity of arms and ammunition, including AK-47 and INSAS rifles, from the site of the encounter. The operation unfortunately led to the sacrifice of three District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel: Head Constable Monu Vadadi, Constable Dukaru Gonde, and Jawan Ramesh Sodhi. Two other DRG members were wounded.
This operation significantly boosts the anti-Naxal efforts in Chhattisgarh. The total number of Naxalites neutralized in the state this year has now climbed to 275, with the Bastar region seeing the highest number of such actions. The fight against Naxalism has also seen 23 security personnel martyred across the state this year.