Three Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Saturday morning. This is the first encounter since Maoists recently sent letters asking for a ceasefire and peace talks.
The gunfight started around 9 am in the Bhairamgarh area, located across the Indravati river. This area is known to be a stronghold of Maoists and lies between Dantewada and Narayanpur districts.
Security officials said two Maoists were shot dead during the operation, and another body was found later. The joint operation was carried out by the CRPF’s CoBRA unit, the Special Task Force (STF), and the District Reserve Guard (DRG), based on information that Maoists were hiding in the area.
So far in 2025, a total of 137 Maoists have been killed in different encounters in Chhattisgarh, with 121 of them in the Bastar region alone.
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Earlier this month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Dantewada and appealed to the Maoists to give up violence and join the mainstream, calling them “brothers.” Before his visit, Maoists had sent letters offering a ceasefire if the government stopped building new police camps. However, they later said the government ignored their conditions, making peace talks difficult.
On Thursday, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma said the government is open to unconditional peace talks if Maoists are ready to return to normal life. He promised their safety, assured that issues like pending cases and rehabilitation would be addressed, and said he is willing to talk even if just one Maoist comes forward.
