At the site of the Maoist encounter in Chhattisgarh, there is silence in the air and bullet marks on the trees

The meeting lasted four hours.

cancer:

A hush fell over the hills adjoining the villages of Siddur and Kalpa in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, where 29 Maoists were shot dead by security forces in a clash.

Bullet marks could be seen in trees at the scene Wednesday, hours after the largest-ever clashes in the state ended. Blood stains were also visible on the ground, which was covered with a thick carpet of fallen bamboo leaves.

In nearby villages, local tribesmen, mostly women, could be seen outside, but they were reluctant to talk about what they saw during Tuesday’s encounter.

Lingaram, a resident of Akameta village in the area, claimed that his cousin Sukku, an active Maoist, was killed in the encounter.

Speaking to reporters in Kalpa village, he said he did not know about the incident until Wednesday.

Lingaram said Suku joined the outlawed CPI (Maoist) as a child and remained in the Maoist movement despite attempts by his family to convince him to quit.

He added that Suku’s family had not yet contacted the police to claim Suku’s body.

The routes leading to the encounter locations are mostly dirt roads or forest paths that have been dug in multiple locations. Maoist posters called on locals to boycott the Lok Sabha elections, and a crude memorial to the slain Maoists could be seen nearby.

To reach this area, considered a Maoist North Bastar Divisional Committee stronghold, one has to cross the Kotri river, which dries up in summer.

The local government has long been trying to build a bridge over the river, but no progress has been made due to opposition from villagers, an official said.

The encounter took place at the junction of Kanker district and Narayanpur district and Gachiroli district in Chhattisgarh state of Maharashtra, more than 15 kilometers away from Becharghat.

Villager Aaytu said he heard gunshots coming from a hill near Kalpa village on Tuesday afternoon. However, he would not elaborate.

Climbing up a hillside with dense bamboo forests, blood stains and bullet marks can be seen everywhere on the trees. Empty syringes, soft drink bottles and makeshift stretchers used by security personnel to transport injured colleagues lay in a dry creek.

Officials said that about 200 personnel of the Police District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Border Security Force (BSF) launched counter-insurgency operations from different locations on the evening of April 15 and gathered in Mehra village.

They crossed the Kotri river at Hailipadhar and then passed through several other villages and surrounded a hill where they suspected some senior Maoists were.

Police said the confrontation happened around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday and lasted about four hours.

Subsequently, the bodies of 29 Maoists were recovered, including 15 women. Three security guards were also injured in the fierce gun battle.

It was the highest death toll among Maoists in a single battle in the country’s history of fighting left-wing extremism.

As many as 79 Maoists have been killed in Bastar district since the beginning of 2024.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who is in charge of domestic affairs, hailed the encounter as a “surgical strike” and a major success, insisting that it was thanks to the brave security personnel.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)