Security forces killed two Naxalites in a fierce encounter inside the forests of Indravati National Park on Saturday morning.
Personnel recovered AK-47 rifles from the site as intermittent firing continued between Maoists and a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and CoBRA units.
Authorities confirmed that intelligence inputs indicated the presence of a large group of insurgents, including senior Maoist commander Papa Rao alias Mangu, in the area. Security forces cordoned off the forest to retrieve the bodies and track remaining insurgents. Bijapur police issued a statement confirming that the operation is ongoing, though specific details about troop deployment remain undisclosed for safety reasons.
The encounter comes amid intensified efforts to neutralise top Maoist leadership. Security agencies are currently tracking several high-profile figures:
- Thippari Tirupati alias Devji (61): General Secretary of the Maoist organisation, resident of Telangana, carrying a ₹1 crore reward.
- Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathy (74): Former General Secretary, still influential, with a bounty exceeding ₹1 crore.
- Mishir Besra alias Bhaskar (62): Politburo member from Jharkhand, head of the Eastern Regional Bureau, with a reward of over ₹1 crore.
- Papa Rao alias Mangu (56): Member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, in charge of the West Bastar Division Committee.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a deadline of March 31, 2026, to make Bastar Naxal-free. Following a massive crackdown throughout 2025, insurgent influence in the region, active for over four decades, has significantly declined.
