Indian security forces killed at least 29 Maoist rebels, including a senior leader - Shankar Rao, who had a bounty of Rs25 lakh on his head – in a gunbattle in the central state of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday on Tuesday (16 April).
A huge quantity of weapons, including Ak-47 and INSAS rifles, were recovered, reports NDTV, citing a police statement.
Kanker district, where the clash occurred, will vote in the second of seven phases in national elections on 26 April while neighbouring Bastar, a Maoist stronghold, votes in the first phase on Friday.
The rebels, who ascribe to a form of communism propagated by late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, have waged a guerrilla-style struggle against the government, especially in central and eastern India, for decades, leading to periodic clashes and casualties on both sides, reports Reuters.
BSF in conjunction with the District Reserve Guard (DRG) launched a joint operation in forest near the village of the Binagunda under the jurisdiction of Chotebetiya police station in Kanker of Chhattisgarh, The Hindustan Times reported citing a police statement.
Three security personnel including two BSF members were injured in the gunfight.
Sources said the fighting began at around 2 PM, when a joint DRG-BSF team was conducting an anti-Maoist operation.
The DRG was set up in in 2008 to combat Maoist activities in the state, and the Border Security Force has been deployed extensively in the area to for counter-insurgency ops.
Since December 2023, 68 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters with security forces in the Bastar region comprising seven districts, including Kanker.
