33 killed in armed clashes between security forces and rebels in central India
BERNAMA
09/02/2025
A total of 31 suspected Maoist rebels and at least two security personnel were killed in a shootout in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on Sunday. - Decorative photo
NEW DELHI: A total of 31 suspected Maoist rebels and at least two security personnel were killed in a shootout in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on Sunday.
Two other security personnel were also injured in the clashes that took place in a forest area in Indravati National Park, Bijapur district, about 400 kilometers south of Raipur, local media reported.
"One member of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and another from the Special Task Force (STF) were killed, while two others were injured in the incident," senior police officer P. Sundarraj was quoted as saying in an online report by Hindustan Times. The rebel faction, known as the Naxalites, has waged decades of insurgency in central and eastern India over a variety of economic and political demands.
Battles between security forces and rebel groups often result in heavy casualties.
On Jan 6, eight policemen and their driver were killed in a bomb attack allegedly carried out by rebels in Bijapur Province.
The Indian government has taken a combined approach of security measures and economic initiatives to improve the living standards of the people in the areas affected by the Naxalite movement.
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, during his visit to Chhattisgarh in December, said the number of deaths among security personnel and civilians as a result of the group's attacks had fallen by 70 per cent in the past decade since 1983.
The Federal Government of India aims to "completely eliminate" the Naxalite movement by the end of March 2026.
--BERNAMA
