Sukma: In a significant breakthrough, three Naxalites linked to the brutal killing of two civilians last year were arrested by security forces in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Sukma district. The arrests took place near Kistavaram village under Chintalnar police limits on Wednesday, a police official confirmed on Thursday.

The accused—Madkam Bheema (32), Madkam Lakhma (45), and Hemla Nanda (25)—were apprehended by a joint squad comprising personnel from the CRPF’s 223rd battalion and local district police. Bheema, who led the Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan (DAKMS), carried a bounty of ₹2 lakh on his head.

According to police, the trio is believed to have played a role in the murder of two villagers in Jabbagatta last year, branding them as police informers before executing them in cold blood.

In a related operation, security forces discovered four improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the neighboring Bijapur district. The explosives—stuffed inside beer bottles—were found buried in a forested stretch roughly 2 km from the Bheemaram security outpost. The recovery was made by a team from CRPF’s elite 204th CoBRA battalion during an area domination mission near Pusgufa.

The Bomb Disposal Squad swiftly defused the devices, preventing potential harm to security personnel and civilians.

These operations reflect a continued push by security forces to dismantle Naxalite networks and neutralize threats across conflict-prone zones of Chhattisgarh.