14 Maoists killed in twin encounters in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma and Bijapur

At least fourteen Maoists were killed in two separate encounters with District Reserve Guard (DRG) forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma and neighbouring Bijapur districts on January 3 morning, marking the first armed clash between security forces and Maoists this year.

Twelve Maoists were gunned down during an operation in southern Sukma, while two others were killed in Bijapur, where the encounter began around 5 am, police said.

Among those eliminated in Sukma was Vetti Mangdu alias Mukka, a Divisional Committee member and secretary of the Konta area committee—one of the most influential Maoist formations in the region. Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chawan said all armed cadres of the Konta area committee had been neutralised in the operation.

The twin encounters come as the March 2026 deadline set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to eradicate Maoism draws closer, intensifying counter-insurgency operations in the state’s southern tribal belt.

Saturday’s operation also coincided with a planned mass surrender of Maoist cadres, including Barsa Deva alias Barsa Sukka, a top commander of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army’s Battalion 1, before Telangana police chief B. Shivadhar Reddy.

Since 2024, more than 500 Maoists have been killed in Chhattisgarh, underscoring a sharp escalation in security operations aimed at dismantling the insurgent network.

The Konta and Kistaram area committees in Sukma have long held strategic importance for Maoists. For decades, the dense forest corridor served as a stronghold of PLGA Battalion 1, functioning as a training and transit hub linking Chhattisgarh with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

“It was the breeding ground for top Naxal leaders such as Ramanna, Hidma and Barsa Deva, who has since surrendered. The region was also a crucial movement corridor,” a senior police officer said.

Mangdu, officials said, was the alleged mastermind behind the IED blast in Konta in June last year that killed Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Rao Giripunje. Despite being cornered in multiple encounters in the past, he had repeatedly evaded capture.

“He was a hardened Maoist involved in several violent crimes and had managed to escape repeatedly,” the officer added.

With the elimination of key commanders and growing surrenders, security agencies believe the Maoist grip over southern Chhattisgarh is weakening, even as operations continue across its forested heartland.