Editor's Pick | Nine Maoists killed in Dantewada encounter; over 150 killed in Chhattisgarh in 2024

Nine Maoists, six of them women, were killed by security forces in an anti-Naxal operation in the forests along the boundary of Dantewada and Bijapur districts in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, according to the police. With these deaths, the tally of alleged Maoists killed by security forces this year has crossed 150. Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said the operation was carried out by a joint team of District Reserve Guards, Bastar Fighters, and the Central Reserve Police Force. They had received a tip-off about the presence of Maoists belonging to the PLGA Company No. 2 and the West Bastar and Darbha Division, in the hilly forested area under Kirandul police station of Dantewada district. “During the search, there was continuous firing between the police party and the Maoists, seven to eight times, starting around 10.30 a.m.,” Mr. Rai said. Around 1.15 p.m., the police confirmed that nine alleged Maoists had been killed. A large quantity of arms and ammunition, including one self-loading rifle, one.303 rifle, 12-bore rifle,.315-bore rifle, barrel grenade launchers, Naxalite material, and items of daily use were also recovered, the police said. Prima facie, all the deceased have been identified as members of the West Bastar and Darbha Division Committee and PLGA Company No. 02, said Mr. Rai, adding that all members of the security forces were safe. “In view of the possibility of many other Maoists being killed/injured during the encounter, additional reinforcement teams are searching the area around the encounter site,” he said. Last week too, security forces had gunned down three women Maoists in the conflict zone of Bastar, signalling the continuation of the anti-Maoist drive — started late last year — even into the conventionally slower monsoon season. So far in 2024, 153 Naxalite bodies have been recovered, 669 arrested, and 656 Naxalites have surrendered, according to Sundarraj, the Inspector General of Police for the Bastar Range, who attributed the numbers to better coordination and strategy by the local district police force, DRG, and central paramilitary forces. In a recent visit to Chhattisgarh, the State worst affected by left-wing extremism, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that Naxalism would be eliminated by March 2026. A fact-finding team recently reported that post-2019, most of the security camps in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have been set up in private or community properties of tribals without their consent and “in severe violation of exisiting laws.” In an editorial, The Hindu had pointed out that the government must continue to try to win the support and confidence of the tribal people of Chhattisgarh as that is the surest way of defeating the Maoist movement. 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[View in browser]( [More newsletters]( Nine Maoists killed in Dantewada encounter; over 150 killed in Chhattisgarh in 2024 [Nine Maoists, six of them women, were killed by security forces]( in an anti-Naxal operation in the forests along the boundary of Dantewada and Bijapur districts in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, according to the police. With these deaths, the tally of alleged Maoists killed by security forces this year has crossed 150. Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai said the operation was carried out by a joint team of District Reserve Guards, Bastar Fighters, and the Central Reserve Police Force. They had received a tip-off about the presence of Maoists belonging to the PLGA Company No. 2 and the West Bastar and Darbha Division, in the hilly forested area under Kirandul police station of Dantewada district. “During the search, there was continuous firing between the police party and the Maoists, seven to eight times, starting around 10.30 a.m.,” Mr. Rai said. Around 1.15 p.m., the police confirmed that nine alleged Maoists had been killed. A large quantity of arms and ammunition, including one self-loading rifle, one .303 rifle, 12-bore rifle, .315-bore rifle, barrel grenade launchers, Naxalite material, and items of daily use were also recovered, the police said. Prima facie, all the deceased have been identified as members of the West Bastar and Darbha Division Committee and PLGA Company No. 02, said Mr. Rai, adding that all members of the security forces were safe. “In view of the possibility of many other Maoists being killed/injured during the encounter, additional reinforcement teams are searching the area around the encounter site,” he said. Last week too, security forces had gunned down three women Maoists in the conflict zone of Bastar, [signalling the continuation of the anti-Maoist drive — started late last year]( — even into the conventionally slower monsoon season. So far in 2024, 153 Naxalite bodies have been recovered, 669 arrested, and 656 Naxalites have surrendered, according to Sundarraj, the Inspector General of Police for the Bastar Range, who attributed the numbers to better coordination and strategy by the local district police force, DRG, and central paramilitary forces. In a recent visit to Chhattisgarh, the State worst affected by left-wing extremism, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that [Naxalism would be eliminated by March 2026.]( A fact-finding team recently reported that post-2019, most of the [security camps in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand]( have been set up in private or community properties of tribals without their consent and “in severe violation of exisiting laws.” [In an editorial]( The Hindu had pointed out that the government must continue to try to win the support and confidence of the tribal people of Chhattisgarh as that is the surest way of defeating the Maoist movement. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][​Demolition squad: On the Supreme Court and ‘bulldozer justice’]( [Arrow][​Hollow middle: On the regional election results in GermanyÂ]( The Hindu’s Daily Quiz India’s first Formula 4 night street race took place in which city? - Chennai - Bengaluru - Ahmedabad - Noida To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. 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