13 Maoists Killed In Eight-Hour Encounter In Chhattisgarh's Bijapur: Authorities

The incident described involves a security encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, where security forces engaged in an anti-Naxal operation resulting in the death of Maoist insurgents. As per authorities, the death toll of Maoists killed in the encounter has risen to 13 after three more bodies were recovered on Wednesday morning.

The encounter occurred around 6 am on Tuesday in the forest area of Lenda village and lasted for approximately eight hours. It is considered one of the significant security operations in recent times.

The operation was conducted jointly by personnel from various security forces, including the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA). It was initiated following a tip-off regarding the presence of a senior Maoist leader named Papa Rao in the region.

Bijapur district falls under the Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, scheduled for voting in the initial phase of the national elections on April 19, according to the PTI news agency.

This recent encounter follows a similar incident a week earlier, where six Maoists were killed in an encounter in Bijapur's Basaguda area. Overall, at least 43 Maoists have been reported killed in separate security encounters in Bastar this year.