Chhattisgarh: 8 DRG Jawans, 1 Civilian Killed After Naxals Blow Up Security Personnel Vehicle In Bijapur

Eight District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans and one driver were killed on Monday when their vehicle was blown up by Naxals using an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, according to Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P.

The blast occurred on the Bedre-Kutru Road in Bijapur. The DRG jawans from Dantewada were returning in a Scorpio after a joint operation, which involved security personnel from Dantewada, Narayanpur, and Bijapur, the IG stated.

This attack by Maoists on the DRG, a unit of the state police, is the most significant strike on security forces by Naxalites in the past two years. An earlier attack on April 26, 2023, in Dantewada district, killed ten police officers and a civilian driver when Naxals targeted their convoy with an explosion.

Chhattisgarh's Deputy Chief Minister, Arun Sao, condemned the attack as "cowardly," promising that the sacrifice of the soldiers would not be in vain. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to rid Bastar of Naxalism by March 2026.

The incident occurred on the same day that the death toll of Naxals in an ongoing encounter in Bastar region rose to five.

The gun battle, which began on Saturday evening in a forested area near the border of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts, involved a joint team of security personnel conducting an anti-Naxalite operation.

Four Naxals were initially found dead on Sunday, and one more body was recovered later, bringing the total to five, including two women.

During the gunfight, DRG head constable Sannu Karam was also killed. A search operation continued in the area on Monday.

Personnel from the DRG across four districts-Narayanpur, Bastar, Kondagaon, and Dantewada-along with the Special Task Force (STF), have been involved in the operation since Friday.

On January 3, a Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security forces in Gariaband district, which lies within Raipur division. Last year, security forces killed 219 Naxalites in various encounters throughout the state, according to police reports.