3 Maoists killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur, weapons and explosives recovered | India News

NEW DELHI: Bodies of three Maoists were recovered alongside a significant cache of weapons, explosives, and automatic firearms in Chattisgarh’s Bijapur district, police officials confirmed on Sunday.
Efforts to identify the deceased are under way as search operations continue. The operation occurred in the dense forest under the National Park area of Bijapur.
The encounter follows an explosion on Saturday, where a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan sustained injuries from an improvised explosive device planted by Maoists. The blast occurred when a team from the CRPF’s 196 Battalion, stationed at Mahadev Ghat, was conducting an area domination exercise. The injured jawan was admitted to Bijapur District Hospital for treatment.
Maoists have repeatedly used IEDs to target security forces, in response to which the security personnel have ramped up demining efforts to mitigate such threats.
Earlier on Thursday, a major encounter unfolded at the Sukma-Bijapur border, resulting in the recovery of three bodies and several weapons. Superintendent of Police (SP) Sukma, Kiran Chavan, revealed that teams from the district reserve guard, special task force, and the CRPF’s jungle warfare unit were involved in the operation.
The encounter at the Sukma-Bijapur border followed a tragic IED attack that killed eight jawans. The attack left a massive crater on the road, with the remains of the security vehicle scattered over a wide area. In the aftermath, security forces deployed additional personnel to secure the location.