9 dead as Maoists attack security vehicle in C'garh

Nine people died in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Monday after Maoists used an improvised explosive device to blow up a vehicle carrying members of the district reserve guard — the first major insurgent strike amid a string of ferocious encounters by security forces over the past year to eradicate Left-wing extremism in the state.

- Ritesh Mishra

Police said that the death of the eight — four from the DRG of Dantewada and four from the Bastar Fighters — and a driver, on their way back from a joint anti-Maoist operation in the dense jungles of Abujhmad, was the biggest Maoist strike in the state in two years.

It also came after security forces killed roughly 222 insurgents in encounters since January 1, 2024 with an intention of eradicatingMaoist violence in India by March 2026. Inspector general of police, Bastar range, Sundarraj P said that the incident occurred around 2.15pm near Ambeli village under the Kutru police station area. All eight died on the spot.

“The victims were returning tribal populations and from surrendered Maoists. The ill-fated car was the eighth in a nine-vehicle convoy.

"On Friday, we carried out a massive operation in Abujhmad in which security personnel from Dantewada, Bijapur, Jagdalpur, and Narayanpur were moved to the jungle.

On Sunday morning, five Maoists were killed in the three-day-long operation and one DRG head constable was killed. After the operation, the DRG personnel from Dantewada were returning to their base when the attack occurred in Kutru area," said Sundarraj.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah condoled the deaths but reiterated his goal of eradicating Maoism.