Two senior cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist), each carrying substantial rewards on their heads, were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Kilam-Bargum forest of Chhattisgarh’s Kondagaon district, around 250 km from Raipur. Acting on specific intelligence, personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Bastar Fighters launched an anti-Maoist operation on Tuesday, which led to a gunfight. The bodies of the two Maoists were recovered on Wednesday, while search operations in the dense forest area are still underway.
The deceased rebels were identified as Haldar Kashyap, a Divisional Committee Member (DVCM), and Ramey Sori, an Area Committee Member (ACM) from the East Bastar Division. Haldar had a bounty of Rs 8 lakh, and Ramey carried a Rs 5 lakh reward. Both were known for their involvement in violent insurgent activities. During the operation, security forces recovered an AK-47 rifle, other weapons, explosives, and Maoist-related materials from the site. No casualties or injuries were reported among the security personnel.
With this encounter, the number of Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh this year has reached 140, including 124 deaths in the Bastar division alone. Kondagaon is one of the seven Maoist-affected districts in the Bastar region. The incident aligns with the Union government’s broader goal to eliminate left-wing extremism by March 31, 2026, as announced by Home Minister Amit Shah. The continuous operations and rising number of Maoist casualties signal a sustained crackdown to weaken the insurgent presence in the state.
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