2 Maoists killed in encounter near Indravati river in Chhattisgarh; arms recovered

RAIPUR: Two Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Bijapur district on Thursday morning during an anti-Naxal operation along the Indravati river belt.A joint team had launched the operation based on specific intelligence about Maoist presence in the Indravati river area in Jangla region. An exchange of fire broke out between security forces and Maoists during the combing operation in the forested stretch. Bijapur SP Jitendra Yadav said that after the encounter, search operations led to the recovery of two bodies of uniformed Maoists from the spot. Security forces also seized a cache of weapons, including an SLR rifle, an INSAS rifle and a 12-bore rifle, along with explosives and other Maoist materials.Bastar range IG P Sundarraj said search operations are still underway in the area and further details will be shared after a detailed assessment.The Indravati river belt remains a key operational corridor for Maoist movement across south Bastar, and security forces have intensified area domination and intelligence-based operations in recent months.