Metro India News | RAIPUR

A District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawan was injured on Saturday when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district where a massive operation against Maoists was underway for the last six days.

The operation involving about 10,000 security personnel in a hilly region Karreguta, Durgamgutta and Pujarikanker along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border was launched on Monday, a senior official said. A DRG jawan sustained a minor injury when a pressure IED exploded this morning, he said. "The injured jawan was administered treatment at a camp of security forces and his condition was stated to be out of danger. He would be in a position for active duty very soon," the official said.

Another jawan belonging to the Special Task Force (STF) had sustained a minor sprain on ankle due to impact of an IED blast on April 24 morning during the operation, he said, adding that his condition was normal and he has recovered.

Talking to reporters here, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said, "Our security forces have been bravely and strongly fighting against Naxalites. Security forces have been carrying out a major operation against Naxalites on a hill along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border, braving over 40 degrees Celsius in scorching summer."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has resolved to eliminate Naxalism by March 31, 2026 and the target will be achieved, he said. The operation, one of biggest counter-insurgency actions launched in the Bastar region, involves personnel of different units, including the DRG, Bastar Fighters and STF of the Chhattisgarh police, the Central Reserve Police Force and its elite Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA).

Centre and State govts to stop combing and agree to talk with Maoists

CPI State Secretary and the party MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao on Saturday said it was not appropriate to hold combing operations in Karregutta on the Chhattisgarh State border despite the Maoists repeatedly proposing that they were ready for peace talks.

He appealed to the Central and State governments to immediately stop combing operations in the Karregutta forests and agree to talks with the Maoists. He said it was not right to surround the Maoists with thousands of armed forces and commit genocide with the aim of eliminating them.

He urged that repression was not the only way and added that they should be resolved through talks. He suggested that it would not be appropriate to ignore the Maoists' offer that they were ready for the peace talks. He said there were already reports of dozens of the Maoists being killed as well as dozens of armed forces suffered from heatstroke and added that all of this should be taken into consideration to initiate the peace talks.