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Raipur/Gadchiroli, Nov 11 (IANS) According to initial inputs from security forces, several Maoists have reportedly been killed in a fierce exchange of fire that has been going on since Tuesday morning along the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border in the dense forests near Bijapur and Gadchiroli districts. The ongoing operation involving joint teams of District Reserve Guard (DRG), Cobra Commandos and local police has engaged Maoist rebels in a prolonged gunfight, in another blow to the declining militancy in Bastar. Official confirmation on the exact number of casualties is still pending as firing continues intermittently, with security personnel maintaining a cordon to prevent escape. “Many hardcore Maoists are believed to have been killed, but the final number will be known only after the search operation is over and the area is completely cleared,” Chhattisgarh Police officials said on condition of anonymity. No injuries to any member of the security forces have been reported so far, although reinforcements have been sent from nearby camps to reinforce the attack. The clash began around 6 am when a joint patrol, acting on specific intelligence about a group of 20-25 armed militants of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of the banned CPI (Maoist), sighted the rebels in the forest. The Maoists, reportedly led by high-level commanders, opened fire with automatic weapons and grenades, prompting strong retaliation. The area, dotted with dense bushes and ravines, has favored the rebels’ hit-and-run tactics, dragging the encounter into the third day. The operation has been taken amid increase in anti-Naxal activities in the area. Just two days earlier, on November 9, a brief clash broke out in the forests of nearby Sukma, where security forces encountered a disbanded Maoist squad. The rebels escaped capture and fled into the jungle, but DRG teams have since intensified search operations, recovering discarded explosives and propaganda materials. Sources indicate that the fledgling group may be linked to a larger cadre targeted in the ongoing Bijapur-Gadchiroli conflict. The November 5-6 encounter on the Bijapur-Telangana border, in which three Maoists, including a deputy commander carrying a bounty of Rs 5 lakh, were killed, set the stage for this increase. That operation, conducted by Telangana Greyhounds and Chhattisgarh STF, recovered two AK-47 rifles and IED components, underscoring the Maoists’ desperation to regroup amid sustained pressure. Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division, a Maoist stronghold, has seen a dramatic decline in insurgent activity this year. More than 400 cadres have surrendered since January, citing better rehabilitation policies under the state government’s 2025 Surrender and Rehabilitation Scheme, which provides skills training, accommodation and a stipend of up to Rs 2.5 lakh. High-profile neutralizations, such as the Bijapur clash in February that claimed 31 Maoists, have destroyed the group’s command structure, reducing their operational area to just 12 districts across the country. State Home Minister Vijay Sharma, during his recent visit to Bijapur, appealed for surrender, calling the ongoing operation “a decisive step towards a Naxal-free Bastar”. He reiterated the government’s dual approach regarding dynamic operations and development initiatives including road connectivity and mobile health units in remote villages. Security analysts say the Maoists’ weakening is due to increased intelligence-sharing between states facilitated by drone surveillance and human informants. The strategic importance of the border area, which serves as a transit route for arms smuggling from Maharashtra, makes such joint operations crucial. As the searches intensify, officials fear to recover a cache of weapons, including INSAS rifles and gelatin sticks, similar to Maoist armoury. –IANS SKTR/SVN