Union home minister Amit Shah praised the security forces, saying, “Another strike on Naxalism! Out security agencies have neutralized 17 Naxalites and recovered a massive cache of automatic weapons in the Sukma operation. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi , we have resolved to eradicate Naxalism before March 31, 2026.”
Shah reiterated his call to Maoists to surrender. “My appeal to those with arms is that weapons and violence cannot bring change. Only peace and development can.”
Bastar range IGP Sundarraj said a joint force of District Reserve Guard (DRG) of Sukma and CRPF’s 159 Battalion set out to intercept a band of Maoists that was on the move. The forces had received inputs about their presence in forests around Gogunda, Nendum, Upampalli and Kerlapal villages — around 500km south of Raipur.
The forces set out early morning on Saturday and surprised the Maoists in their lair. The first shots were fired at 8am. There was heavy firing from both sides and when guns fell silent, security personnel found 17 dead Naxals on the site of encounter, said police. “They also found a large cache of weapons, including AK-47s, SLRs, INSAS rifles, .303 rifles, rocket launchers, BGL launchers, and explosives,” SP Kiran Chavan said.