By Admin 
A total of 6 Maoists, including four women, were killed in a fierce encounter between security forces and Maoists in the border forest-hill area of Bhopalpatnam police station and Farsegarh police station in the north-west area of Bijapur in Chhattisgarh. The encounter took place in the National Park area, from where automatic weapons, explosive materials and other objectionable items were recovered.
Police officials held a press conference at Bijapur district headquarters and gave information about the campaign. He told that on the intelligence information about the presence of National Park Area Committee DVCM Dilip Bendja and other armed Maoists, a joint team of DGR Bijapur, DGR Dantewada, STF and CRPF 214 started the search operation.
The reward was Rs 27 lakh
After the encounter, bodies of a total of 6 Maoists including National Park Area Committee in-charge DVCM Dilip Bendja were recovered in the search operation. A reward of Rs 8 lakh was also announced on Dilip Bendja. Other Maoists killed include ACM Madvi Kosa, Palo Podiyam, Lakhi Madkam, Juglo Banjam and Radha Metta. A total reward of Rs 27 lakh was declared on all of them.
These weapons were recovered
2 AK-47, 2 rifles, 1 carbine, 1 BGL launcher, grenades, ammunition, wireless sets, explosive materials, Maoist literature and other daily use items have been recovered from the encounter site.
2 soldiers injured in wild animal attack
Superintendent of Police, Bijapur, Dr. Jitendra Kumar Yadav said that 135 criminal cases were registered against Dilip Bendja in various police stations of the district and he has been involved in many major incidents. During the operation, the soldiers had to face challenges in difficult conditions. Two soldiers were injured in the attack by wild animals, who have been safely sent for treatment. The condition of both is stable.
Superintendent of Police Bijapur said that in the year 2025, security forces were successful in killing 163 Maoists in different encounters in the district. 8 Maoists have been killed in the year 2026. Thus, in the anti-Maoist operation conducted in the district from January 2024 till now, a total of 229 Maoists were killed, 1,126 Maoists were arrested and 876 Maoists left the path of violence and joined the mainstream of society.
Bastar Range IG Sundarraj P. said that due to continuous intelligence-based operations and cooperation of the local people, Maoist influence in Bastar has weakened rapidly. He also appealed to the remaining Maoists to surrender.