14 suspected Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh

At least 14 Maoists were killed in a gunfight with Chhattisgarh Police in Gariaband district on the state's border with Odisha on January 21, news agencies ANI and PTI have reported quoted. Among the dead were two women Maoists. The gun fight, which started on January 20, is still on.

News report citing police sources said that a Naxal, who was carrying a bounty of Rs 1 crore, was also killed in the encounter. The joint interstate operation, assisted by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), took place in the border areas of Nuapada district of Odisha and Gariabandh district of Chhattisgarh.

Two women Naxalites were neutralised during the operation on Monday, and a large cache of firearms, ammunition and IEDs, including a self-loading rifle, were recovered from the encounter site, Economics Times reported.

On the Gariaband encounter, Chhattisgarh Dy CM Arun Sao said, "Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that we will make the nation Naxal-free by 31st March 2026. Our security forces are also bravely working in this direction. They are succeeding constantly. I extend my greetings to the security forces for their achievement in Gariaband. Naxalism is essential for the development of the state."