NARAYANPUR: Two senior Maoist leaders were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in the forests along the border of Kondagaon and Narayanpur districts in Chhattisgarh.
The gunfight occurred in the Kilam-Bhargam forest region, a known Maoist-affected area. Acting on intelligence reports regarding Maoist presence, security personnel launched a search operation, which led to a confrontation between the Maoists and the forces.
According to Sundarraj, IG of the Bastar Range, two prominent Maoist leaders — Haldar, a Divisional Committee Member (DVCM), and Ramega, an Area Committee Member (ACM) from the East Bastar Division — were identified among the deceased. He said that an AK-47 rifle and several explosive materials were recovered from the site of the encounter.
He further stated that the area is being combed as part of an ongoing search operation.
This marks yet another major encounter in the Maoist-affected forests of Chhattisgarh. The security forces had earlier received specific inputs about the presence of Maoists in the forested stretch between Kondagaon and Narayanpur, prompting them to begin combing operations.
During the encounter, both sides exchanged heavy gunfire, resulting in the deaths of the two Maoist leaders. Their bodies, along with a large cache of arms, were recovered from the scene. While two of the dead have been identified, further details about others involved remain to be ascertained.
