Security forces killed 14 Maoists, including a senior area committee leader, in two separate encounters in Sukma and Bijapur districts, marking the first major anti-Maoist action of 2026.
BY PC Bureau
January 3, 2026 — In a major setback to left-wing extremism at the start of the new year, security forces killed 14 Maoists, including a senior leader, in two separate encounters in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Saturday.
The biggest operation unfolded in Sukma district, where 12 Maoists were neutralised during a fierce exchange of fire in a forested area near Pamlur village under the Kistaram police station limits. The action was launched late Friday night by teams of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from the Palodi and Potakpalli camps, following intelligence inputs about the presence of armed Maoist cadres in the Konta–Kistaram belt.
Among those killed was Mangdu, also known as Sachin Mangdu, secretary of the Maoists’ Konta Area Committee and a key figure in the region’s insurgency. Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said the operation was closely monitored and that armed commanders linked to previous attacks, including the killing of Konta Assistant Superintendent of Police Akash Rao Girepunje, have now been neutralised. Security forces recovered automatic weapons, including AK-47 and INSAS rifles, from the site. The identities of the remaining 11 Maoists are being verified, while combing operations continue in the surrounding forests.
#Encounter: At least 12 armed Maoists killed in Sukma & 2 neutralised in Bijapur today in an exchange of fire with security forces in forested terrain of south #Chhattisgarh. 14 Bodies recovered & search operations continue @NewIndianXpress @santwana99 @jayanthjacob pic.twitter.com/1ROIUfrFKh
— Ejaz Kaiser (@KaiserEjaz) January 3, 2026
In a separate incident earlier in the day, two Maoists were killed in Bijapur district during a gunfight that erupted around 5 am in a forested area in the southern part of the district. A DRG team, acting on specific intelligence about Maoist movement, engaged the insurgents and later recovered their bodies. Intermittent firing was reported to be ongoing at the time of initial reports.
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No casualties were reported among security personnel in either operation.
The encounters mark the first major anti-Maoist action of 2026 and reflect the continued intensification of operations in the Bastar division, a long-time Maoist stronghold. Official figures show that 285 Maoists were killed in encounters across Chhattisgarh in 2025, highlighting sustained pressure on the insurgency as the government targets its eradication by March 31, 2026.
Further details, including additional recoveries of weapons or bodies, are awaited as search operations continue in both districts.
