A major encounter between security forces and Naxalites in Chhattisgarh’s Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district resulted in the death of two prominent Naxal leaders, who were collectively carrying a bounty of 35 lakh rupees. The incident took place on Wednesday in the Banda hill forest, under the Madanwada police station’s purview. The operation was a joint effort involving the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). The operation was initiated on Tuesday night based on intelligence indicating the presence of senior Maoist figures. During the afternoon, amidst heavy rain, the Naxalites opened fire as security forces were securing the Banda hill area, located near Retegaon village. The forces returned fire, leading to the deaths of the two Naxalites. After the encounter, a search yielded the bodies of the deceased.
The slain Naxalites were identified as Vijay Reddy, a member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, and Lokesh Salame, who was a member of the Divisional Committee. Reddy was wanted with a 25 lakh rupee bounty, and he also had a bounty in the neighboring state of Maharashtra. Salame had a 10 lakh rupee bounty. Police are currently searching for other members who were involved. Police sources revealed that Reddy was a key Maoist leader in the Rajnandgaon-Kanker border division and was actively involved in areas near the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.
This year, the security forces in Chhattisgarh have eliminated 229 Naxalites, with 208 of those deaths occurring in the Bastar division. This list includes the districts of Bijapur, Bastar, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, and Dantewada. Superintendent of Police Y.P. Singh confirmed the encounter and the elimination of the high-ranking Naxalites during the search operation.