4 Maoists killed in encounter in Bijapur, arms recovered: Chhattisgarh police
Officials said that arms and ammunition have been recovered and the encounter is still in progress.
Bijapur superintendent of police (SP), Jitendra Yadav, said police have recovered four bodies and their identities are yet to be ascertained.
The exchange of fire began in the evening after security personnel launched a search operation based on intelligence inputs about Maoist presence in the south-western region of the district.
'Intermittent firing between the two sides has continued since then,' said Yadav.
Security forces have recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the encounter site, including INSAS and SLR rifles, other weapons, explosive materials, and items of daily use, the SP added.
Officials said sensitive details such as the exact location of the encounter and the number of personnel involved have been withheld for now to ensure the safety of forces engaged in the operation.
A detailed report will be released once the operation concludes, he added.
Maoists have suffered continued setbacks across the region since 2024. In that year alone, 217 Maoists were killed in various encounters.
With Saturday's operation, the total number of Maoist casualties has risen to approximately 464 till date in 2025.
Union home minister Amit Shah had earlier said that Maoism would be completely eradicated from Chhattisgarh next year, and that the central and state governments were working in full coordination to end the decades-old insurgency through both security action and development.
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