Overview

• Two encounters on March 20, 2025, in Bijapur and Kanker districts resulted in the deaths of 30 Maoists and one security personnel.
• The Bijapur operation involved 1,500 personnel, leading to 26 Maoist deaths, while 700 personnel neutralized four Maoists in Kanker.
• A significant cache of automatic and semi-automatic weapons, including AK-47 rifles, was seized during the operations.
• The encounters are part of the central government's 'Naxal-free' initiative, aiming to eliminate Maoist insurgency by March 31, 2026.
• Search operations continue in the dense forests as security forces intensify efforts to dismantle Maoist strongholds in the Bastar region.