"I heartily congratulate the jawans": Chhattisgarh Dy CM Vijay Sharma hails security forces after four Naxals killed in Bijapur

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], July 27 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma on Sunday congratulated the security forces for their successful joint operation in Bijapur district, where four uniformed Naxals were neutralised.
"In the Bijapur area of South-West Bastar, four uniformed Naxals have been neutralised. Rifles like INSAS and SLR have also been recovered from them...I heartily congratulate the jawans," Vijay Sharma told ANI.
According to senior police officials, the bodies of the four Naxals were recovered during a joint anti-Naxal operation in the district. Further search and counter-insurgency operations are underway in the region.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) P Sundarraj said multiple units, including the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Bastar Fighters, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), are actively engaged in operations against Naxal groups across the state.
"On July 26, a joint team of DRG, CoBRA, CRPF, and other security forces conducted an operation in Bijapur against Naxal outfit leaders. After the operation, four bodies of uniformed Naxals were recovered by the forces... Joint teams continue to search the nearby areas," Sundarraj said.
He added that earlier this month, on July 18, six Naxal bodies were recovered after an exchange of fire in Chhattisgarh's Abujhmad region in Narayanpur district. A large cache of weapons, including AK-47 rifles and SLR rifles, was recovered. The search operation is underway.
On July 5, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai had said that the state was committed to ending Naxal violence. He assured that all affected areas would be provided with basic infrastructure like roads and electricity.
According to an official statement from the Government of India, 290 Naxals have been neutralised in 2024 alone. Additionally, 1,090 Naxals have been arrested and 881 have surrendered so far this year.
Recent major operations include the surrender of 50 Naxals in Bijapur in March 2025, the neutralisation of 16 in Sukma, and the killing of 22 in Kanker and Bijapur.
With continued Special Central Assistance and focused development programmes, the government aims to eliminate Naxalism across India by 31 March 2026, the statement added. (ANI)