Bijapur (Chhattisgarh): In a significant anti-Naxal operation, eight Maoist militants were killed during an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Saturday. The deceased, who were senior cadres, carried cumulative rewards of Rs 16 lakh, according to police officials.

The encounter took place in a forest near Todka village, under the Gangaloor police station area, as part of an ongoing crackdown on Naxal activities. Two personnel from the District Reserve Guard, a specialized unit of the state police, were injured during the firefight.

Among those neutralised was Kamlesh Neelkanth (24), a member of the Gangaloor area committee, who carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh. Other notable militants included Tati Kamlu and Mangal Tati, both of whom had a reward of Rs 3 lakh each. The remaining individuals were members of various Maoist factions, each carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh.

Security forces recovered several weapons and explosives from the site, including an Insas rifle, a Barrel Grenade Launcher, and multiple rifles. So far in 2025, 49 Naxalites have been killed in separate encounters in the state, including 33 in the Bastar division.

This follows another major operation on January 20-21, where 16 Naxals were killed in Gariaband district.