Maharashtra police killed three Naxals in a major anti-Maoist operation carried out in the dense forests of Gadchiroli district, officials said on Friday.
The deadly encounter also claimed the life of an elite Maharashtra police commando and injured another as forces destroyed Naxal camps in a remote border area.
Maharashtra Police Operation Based on Intelligence Inputs
The operation began three days ago near Phodewada village, close to the Chhattisgarh–Maharashtra border, following intelligence about the presence of cadres from Company No. 10 of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).
Reports say that the Maharashtra police launched a coordinated strike involving 14 units of its elite C-60 commando force and support from a Quick Action Team of the Central Reserve Police Force.
Maharashtra Police Destroy Naxal Camps, Recover Weapons
Security forces first busted two suspected Naxal camps on Wednesday, recovering weapons, including an AK-47 rifle and a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), from the site. Over the next two days, heavy firing was exchanged between the Naxals and Maharashtra police commandos in the dense terrain of the Abujhmad forests as combing operations continued.
According to reports, the bodies of three Naxals were recovered from the encounter site by Thursday night and Friday morning,. Officials have not yet been able to identify the slain Naxals by name, but police said one was a male and at least one was a woman, indicating the continued involvement of female cadres in Maoist units.
Maharashtra Police Commando Killed, Another Injured
Reports say that during the intense gunfight, Deepak Chinna Madavi, a 38-year-old commando of the Maharashtra police C-60 unit and resident of Aheri taluka, was seriously wounded. He was airlifted from the forest to the Sub-District Hospital in Bhamragad early Friday, however he succumbed to his injuries as doctors confirmed later.
Another Maharashtra police commando, Joga Madavi, was also injured by gunfire during the encounter. He was evacuated from the scene and was reported to be in stable condition and expected to be flown to Gadchiroli for further treatment, as per reports.
Maharashtra Police Continue Search Operations
The Maharashtra police said the operation was not yet over. Search and combing efforts were ongoing to ensure no additional Naxal cadres remained hidden in the remote forests. The force has maintained that the anti-Maoist campaign will continue until insurgent networks and camps in the region are dismantled.
The deaths of the elite commando shows the dangers faced by Maharashtra police personnel involved in such counter-insurgency operations.
