Two Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, police officials confirmed.
The gunfight erupted in a forested area along the Indravati river during the morning hours, when a joint team of security personnel was conducting an anti-Naxalite operation, a senior officer said.
After the exchange of fire ended, the bodies of two uniformed Maoists were recovered from the site. Security forces also seized a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), an INSAS rifle and a 12-bore rifle from the spot. A search operation in the surrounding area was still underway at the time of the report.
With the latest action, the number of Maoists killed in separate encounters in the state this year has risen to 25.
Earlier, on January 3, as many as 14 Maoists were gunned down in two separate encounters in the Bastar region, which includes Bijapur among its seven districts. In 2025, a total of 285 Maoists were killed in various encounters across Chhattisgarh.
The Centre has set a deadline of March 31 to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism from the country.
