RAIPUR: In the dense jungles of Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, a fierce gunfight broke out on Friday morning between the CRPF, the District Reserve Guards (DRG) and Maoist insurgents.
What followed was a significant win for the security forces, marking the elimination of 10 Maoists, including three women cadres, and the disruption of a dangerous rebel unit.
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When the battle ended, the returning DRG troops celebrated their success with an impromptu dance, swaying to folk songs while still armed.
The jubilation at their base reflected not just relief but a collective triumph over a long-standing threat.
Among the neutralised insurgents was a key Maoist leader, Madkam Masa, the South Bastar division’s ‘military in charge’, who carried a bounty of Rs 8 lakh.
Five other identified cadres included divisional “small action team” commander Lakhma Madvi, with a Rs 5 lakh bounty, and four others — Doodhi Hungi, Madkam Jitu, Madkam Kosi, and Kovasi Kesa — each carrying Rs 2 lakh rewards. Four more Maoists remain unidentified.
The “small action team” under Madvi had earned notoriety for orchestrating targeted assassinations of civilians and off-duty security personnel, spreading terror across the region.
The operation was a result of precise intelligence about Maoist activity in the Bhandarpadar region, a strategic trijunction of Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, nearly 500km from Raipur.
IG Bastar range P Sundarraj confirmed that the operation was carefully planned based on movements of the Konta-Kistaram area committee.
The encounter began around 9am, with the Maoists retreating under sustained fire. The DRG troops found 10 bodies at the site, marking a clear success.
To ensure no insurgents escape, CRPF reinforcements have been deployed to comb the surrounding areas.