17 Maoists including 11 women were killed in the Bastar encounter.
On March 29, 2025, 17 Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district. The killed Maoists included eleven women and a senior Maoist commander named Kuhdami Jagdish alias Budhra, who was wanted in over a dozen criminal cases in Sukma district.
The operation was carried out by a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) of Sukma and 159 battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The encounter started early in the morning and there was heavy firing from both sides. Security forces recovered a large quantity of firearms, including automatic weapons and explosives.
Four security personnel were also injured in the encounter, but their condition is stable. The injured were immediately evacuated from the encounter site and rushed to a hospital.
With this encounter, the total number of Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh this year has gone up to 132, of which 117 were killed in the Bastar region.
The Maoist movement has admitted to losing 78 cadres, including senior commanders, this year and expressed concern over the vulnerability of its safe zones in Bijapur.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the success of the security forces and appealed to the Maoists to give up violence, stressing that only peace and development can bring change.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Vijay Sharma also congratulated the security personnel and reiterated the government's willingness to hold talks with the Maoists.
The encounter site was located in the forests around Gogunda, Nendam and Upampalli in Keralapal villages. The operation was based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists in the area.
In the broader context, the encounter is part of the ongoing conflict between security forces and Maoists in the region. Previous encounters in 2024 have also seen considerable casualties on both sides. For instance, 29 Maoists were killed and three security personnel injured in an encounter in Kanker district on April 17, 2024, three days before the Lok Sabha elections. Similarly, ten Maoists were killed in an encounter in Sukma district on November 22, 2024, taking the total number of Maoist deaths in 2024 to 207. A large quantity of arms and explosives have been recovered in these operations, which shows the intensity and preparedness of the security forces. The encounter in Sukma also highlights the effectiveness of joint operations involving multiple security agencies like the DRG and the CRPF in neutralising Maoist threats. The recovery of arms and explosives shows that the security forces were well prepared and had accurate intelligence about the presence of Maoists in the area. In conclusion, the encounter in Sukma on March 29, 2025 was a major setback to the Maoist movement in Chhattisgarh, resulting in the death of eleven women and a senior commander. The operation underlines the ongoing efforts of the security forces to curb Maoist activities and maintain peace in the region.