In a major victory against Naxal insurgents, security forces have gunned down 16 Naxals and seized a significant cache of arms and ammunition in the Kerlapal area of Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district, officials confirmed on Saturday.
Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan stated that 16 bodies of Naxals were recovered from the encounter site. “Two of our jawans sustained injuries during the operation and are being evacuated for medical attention,” he added.
The security forces also confiscated sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifles, Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), and INSAS rifles, marking one of the most significant encounters in Sukma’s history.
The exchange of fire began following a joint anti-Naxal operation conducted by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Friday. The operation was launched based on specific intelligence inputs regarding the presence of Naxals in the area. Security personnel initiated the search mission on March 28, and intermittent gunfire continued through the early hours of March 29.
Currently, security teams are sweeping the encounter site and nearby forest areas for any remaining threats.
Sukma, part of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, has long been a stronghold for Naxal activities and has witnessed several violent attacks in the past. On Friday, a jawan was injured in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Naxals exploded. The injured soldier was hospitalized and is now in stable condition, according to Bastar IG.
Earlier this month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated in Parliament that the government aims to eradicate Naxalism from India by March 31, 2026. He highlighted that between 2004 and 2014, India witnessed 16,463 Naxal-related violent incidents, a number that has dropped by 53% in the last decade.
Additionally, Shah noted a 73% decrease in security personnel casualties and a 70% decline in civilian deaths due to Naxal violence. The government has also undertaken extensive infrastructure development in Naxal-affected regions, constructing 11,503 kilometers of highways and 20,000 kilometers of rural roads. Mobile connectivity is being expanded, with thousands of towers already installed and more in progress.
With increasing counterinsurgency efforts and ongoing operations, security forces continue their mission to eliminate Naxal strongholds, ensuring peace and development in the region.
