Woman Naxal killed, rifle recovered in Bijapur encounter; security forces continue anti-Naxal operation

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], May 6 (ANI): A woman Naxalite was killed and a .303 rifle recovered during an encounter between security forces and Naxalite in the forested border area of Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, officials said on Tuesday.
The joint anti-Naxal operation, involving District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), CRPF's CoBRA, and CRPF personnel, has been underway in the region following intelligence inputs about Naxalite presence.
The gunfight took place on May 5 in the dense jungles along Bijapur's southwestern border. After the exchange of fire, security personnel recovered the body of a uniformed woman Maoist along with a .303 rifle from the encounter site, officials confirmed.
Based on traces found at the site, there is a strong possibility that several other Naxalites were either killed or injured in the operation, an official statement said.
Security forces believe that multiple senior-level Naxalite cadres may have been neutralized or seriously wounded during the ongoing operation, although difficult terrain has posed challenges in recovering all bodies.
So far, a total of four Naxalites bodies have been recovered since the start of the operation, including three bodies found on April 24 and one on May 5, officials added.
The anti-Naxal operation continues in the region, with forces maintaining pressure on the Naxalite network in the border areas, the statement noted.
Earlier on April 28, as many as 24 Naxalites, including 14 Naxalites carrying a reward of Rs 28.50 lakhs, surrendered before the police on Monday, the Bijapur Police said.
"14 Naxalites with a total reward of Rs 28.50 lakh surrendered, and a total of 24 Naxalites surrendered in Bijapur," Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Governa said.
Since 1st January 2025, 213 Naxalites involved in several incidents have been arrested, 203 Naxalites have surrendered, and a total of 90 Naxalites have been killed in different encounters in the district, he added.
All the Naxalites who surrendered and joined the mainstream of society were given a cheque of Rs 50,000 each as an incentive. (ANI)