Two hardcore Naxalites, carrying a combined bounty of Rs 13 lakh, were killed in a fierce encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Tuesday evening, police confirmed.

The gunfight erupted in the dense forest of Kilam-Bargum villages, straddling the Kondagaon-Narayanpur border, during an anti-Naxalite operation led by a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Bastar Fighters from Kondagaon.

Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, reported that the operation yielded the bodies of two Naxalites, identified as Haldar, a notorious Maoist commander of the east Bastar division, and Rame, an area committee member.

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Haldar carried a Rs 8 lakh reward, while Rame had a Rs 5 lakh bounty. Security forces recovered an AK-47 rifle, explosives, and other weapons from the site, with search operations ongoing to secure the area.

This encounter marks a significant blow to the Maoist insurgency, bringing the total number of Naxalites killed in Chhattisgarh this year to 140, with 123 in the Bastar division alone, encompassing seven districts, including Narayanpur and Kondagaon.

The state’s intensified anti-Naxalite campaign, backed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s pledge to eradicate Naxalism by March 2026, continues to gain momentum.

Despite the success, the region remains volatile, with security forces facing risks from improvised explosive devices and ambushes. The latest operation underscores the relentless push to dismantle Maoist strongholds in Bastar’s rugged terrain, even as local communities call for peace and development.

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