Sukma: Security forces killed 14 Maoist rebels in two separate gunfights Saturday in Chhattisgarh’s South Bastar region, marking the first major anti-insurgency operation of the new year.

The encounters took place in the dense forests of Sukma and Bijapur districts, where joint teams of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) were conducting intelligence-led search operations. According to police officials, 12 Maoists were neutralised in the Kistaram area of Sukma, while two others were killed in the Basaguda region of Bijapur during a pre-dawn exchange of fire.

Authorities identified several of the deceased as high-ranking members of the Darbha Valley Committee. Notably, the operation resulted in the death of a commander allegedly responsible for the June 2025 improvised explosive device (IED) attack that killed Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Girpunje.

“The operation has reached a critical stage and is still in progress,” a senior police official said. “For the safety of our jawans on the ground, we cannot share operational specifics at this juncture.”

Security teams recovered a cache of weapons from the sites, including an AK-47, an INSAS rifle, a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), and various explosives. Combining operations remain underway in the heavily forested terrain to secure the area.

The dual strikes come as the Indian government nears its March 31, 2026, deadline to completely eliminate Left-Wing Extremism (LWE). Official data shows the insurgency has contracted significantly, with the number of affected districts dropping to fewer than 20 across Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand following years of sustained counter-operations and development projects.

While the government continues to promote a multi-pronged strategy of security camps and welfare schemes, experts note that underlying issues such as tribal displacement and regional inequality remain challenges to a permanent resolution.

Police stated that a full report on the identities of all 14 individuals and the total volume of seized material will be released once the security teams return to their bases.

With inputs from IANS