Bijapur Breakthrough: 4 Naxalites with ₹17 Lakh Bounty Killed in Encounter

National News: Big news has emerged from the Naxal-affected Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. In a major operation, security forces killed four Naxalites, including two women, in an encounter. These four carried a total reward of ₹17 lakh on their heads. The encounter began on Saturday evening and continued intermittently until late at night. Bijapur has long been considered a stronghold of Naxal activities, but in recent months, continuous security operations have increased pressure on the Naxalite network.

How did the operation unfold?

The security forces had received credible intelligence about the presence of Naxalites in the forests of Basaguda and Gangalur police station areas in Bijapur. Acting on this tip, the District Reserve Guard (DRG) launched a search operation on the evening of 26 July. While combing the forest, security personnel came face-to-face with the Naxalites, leading to a fierce encounter that lasted for several hours and continued intermittently until late at night.

Who were the Naxalites killed?

Police confirmed that two of the Naxalites killed in the encounter were women.  All four have been identified, and they were on the wanted list for various violent activities:

• Hunga (SM, Platoon No. 1) – ₹5 lakh reward
• Lakkhe (MM, Platoon No. 30) – ₹5 lakh reward
• Bhime (SM) – ₹5 lakh reward
• Nihal alias Rahul (Party Member) – ₹2 lakh reward
• Three of them held senior Maoist positions, while one was a party member.

Weapons and explosives recovered

Security forces recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from the encounter site. The seized items include:

• One SLR rifle
• One INSAS rifle
• One .303 rifle
• One 12-bore gun
• A BGL launcher, several single-shot firearms, and a large cache of explosives.

Operation continues

Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Yadav stated that the operation was launched based on precise intelligence about Naxalite movements. He described the mission as a major success for the security forces. He also confirmed that search operations are still ongoing in the region to uncover any remaining weapons, explosives, or Naxal hideouts in the dense forest areas.