NEW DELHI: At least 12 Naxals were killed in an ongoing encounter operation at the south Bastar area in Chhattisgarh on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, two jawans were injured in the IED blast in the state’s Bijapur district.
Chhattisgarh deputy CM Vijay Sharma said that Naxals have planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) everywhere and termed the Bijapur Naxal attack as a cowardly act.
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On the IED blast in Bijapur, Sharma told new agency ANI: “This is a cowardly act of Naxals. They have placed IEDs everywhere. Security personnel, civilians and animals are also getting killed in it. Yesterday, 2 security personnel were hit by IED…Both have been admitted to the hospital and both are safe…”
The blast comes amid the security forces intensifying anti-Naxal operations in Bijapur.
On January 12, five Naxalites including two women were killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur.
Eight security personnel and a vehicle driver were killed in a major IED blast triggered by Maoists on a police vehicle in Bijapur district of Bastar division on January 6.
Expressing condolences over the death of jawans, Union home minister Amit Shah vowed to end Naxalism from India by March 2026 saying the “sacrifice of our soldiers won’t go in vain”.