In a significant anti-insurgency operation, Eight Maoists were fatally shot in a clash with security forces in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.

The encounter occurred around 6 am in a forest near Lendra village under Gangaloor police station area. Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P stated that a joint team comprising personnel from the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and its elite unit Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was conducting the operation.

Following the cessation of gunfire, the bodies of four Maoists, along with a light machine gun and other weaponry, were recovered from the scene. Subsequently, four more bodies were discovered at the encounter site following search operations in the area.

It may be noted that the Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC) is typically carried out by Maoists during the summer season between March and June, during which their activities tend to escalate. The Bastar region, encompassing seven districts including Bijapur witnessed a surge in attacks on security forces during this period.

This incident marks the latest in a series of encounters resulting in casualties among Maoist ranks, with a total of 41 Maoists killed in separate incidents with security forces in the Bastar region this year.