GADCHIROLI, Maharashtra (October 21, 2024): Five Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on Monday. The gunfight involved the C-60 specialized combat unit of the Gadchiroli police and took place in a forest in Bhamragadh taluka, just a month before the state assembly elections.
According to reports, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP), a group of Naxalites had gathered in the forest near the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border for the last two days and was reportedly planning an attack in light of the upcoming elections on November 20. The gathering area borders Narayanpur, a district in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh known for Naxalite activity.
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The operation involved 22 teams of C-60 commandos and two squads of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), coordinated by senior officials. As the security personnel arrived at the location of the Naxalite gathering, they were met with indiscriminate gunfire from the Maoists. The forces swiftly retaliated, resulting in the deaths of five Naxalites during the exchange.
A search operation is currently underway in the forest. The identities of the slain Naxalites are expected to be revealed at a press conference in Gadchiroli on Tuesday.
(With inputs from agencies)