On January 16, 2025, at approximately nine in the morning, security troops and Naxalites clashed in the Bijapur region of Chhattisgarh. During a joint team of security personnel’s anti-Naxalite operation in the forested area of south Bijapur, this incident occurred.
This encounter comes after a notable incident on January 12 in which a similar operation killed five Naxalites, including two women. Multiple firearms and explosives were recovered from the site as a result of the security forces’ sporadic gunfire with the Maoists.
On the same day as the encounter, an IED blast in Putkel village, which is under the jurisdiction of Basaguda police, was attributed to the Naxalites, injuring at least two police officers in the ongoing operations. Search operations are still ongoing, and the situation is still fluid.
Bijapur, frequently referred to be an epicentre for left-wing extremism in the area, is one of the districts in Chhattisgarh most impacted by Maoist operations. Several engagements have resulted in the deaths of several Naxalites this year alone.
