Overview

• Police confirmed 10 bodies recovered from the Matal–Mainpur area of Gariaband after Thursday’s gunfight, identifying Central Committee member Modem Balakrishna among the dead and seizing 10 firearms, including an AK-47 and an SLR.
• The joint operation drew in E-30, the Special Task Force, CoBRA’s 207th battalion and the Chhattisgarh Armed Force after specific inputs on cadres linked to the Dhamtari–Gariaband–Nuapada corridor.
• Officials said the deceased carried a cumulative reward of Rs 5.25 crore across multiple states, with Balakrishna’s bounty totaling Rs 1.80 crore in combined state lists; four women were among those killed.
• Intermittent firing continued into Friday morning as forces combed the site, while a separate encounter in Bijapur left two Maoists dead and earlier action in Kanker killed a PLGA member with an Rs 8 lakh reward.
• Union home minister Amit Shah praised the operation and urged remaining cadres to surrender, reiterating the government’s goal of ending Maoist insurgency by March 31, 2026.