A fierce gun battle broke out on Wednesday, December 3, between security forces and Maoists in the Naxal-affected Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. During the encounter, seven Maoists were killed, while two personnel lost their lives and one was injured. The operation took place in the dense forests of the West Bastar division, and intermittent firing is still reported, raising the possibility of a higher casualty count. Security agencies had received intelligence inputs about a large gathering of Maoists in the area. Acting on this, a joint team of DRG, STF, and CRPF’s Cobra battalion launched a search operation. As soon as the forces reached the forested zone, Maoists opened fire, prompting retaliation that resulted in five militants being neutralized.
Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Yadav stated that the Gangloor region, near the Bijapur-Dantewada border, is believed to be under the influence of notorious Maoist commander Paparao. The encounter holds strategic importance as it comes just 16 days after top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma was killed during a clash with Andhra Pradesh Police on November 18. Hidma, a key military face of the Maoist movement and a resident of Purvati village in Sukma, carried a bounty of over ₹1 crore. Anti-Naxal operations have intensified across the Bastar range, with coordinated action increasing in scale and frequency. The Union government has set March 2026 as the target to completely eliminate Naxalism, and joint operations are being accelerated across the region to meet this goal.