Indian forces kill 31 suspected Maoists in Chhattisgarh encounter, police say

Indian forces kill 31 suspected Maoists in Chhattisgarh encounter, police say

*Event date: 2025-02-09*

Indian security forces killed at least 31 suspected Maoist rebels and lost two of their own personnel in a gun battle in the forests of Chhattisgarh, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing police. Two other security personnel were injured. Police said the encounter took place in the Indravati area after a large operation based on intelligence that a group of rebels had gathered there.

The clash was described as the biggest so far in 2025 and one of the deadliest in the state in recent weeks. Hundreds of police and paramilitary officers took part in the operation, and police said the search could still uncover a higher toll as the area was combed. Automatic weapons and grenade launchers were recovered from the site.

The Maoists, also known as Naxals, have fought a guerrilla insurgency against the Indian state for decades, especially across central and eastern India. The report placed the latest encounter inside that longer conflict, in which the government has increasingly pushed to eliminate the armed movement from what it calls the “Red Corridor.”

Home minister Amit Shah praised the operation and said it was part of the effort to achieve a “Naxal-free India.” That political framing has become central to New Delhi’s approach, even as the fighting continues to exact regular casualties on both sides.

Al Jazeera also said the latest battle came after other recent clashes in Chhattisgarh. At least 16 rebels had been killed in Gariband district on January 23, and eight more in Bijapur on January 31. Government data cited in the report said about 287 rebels were killed in the past year, mostly in Chhattisgarh.

The broader conflict has deep roots. The rebels emerged in 1967 and say they are fighting for marginalized Indigenous communities with less access to jobs, schools and clinics. The state response, meanwhile, has involved tens of thousands of soldiers and years of sustained pressure. The report notes that the movement has continued to carry out ambushes, attacks on government offices and thefts of weapons and supplies.

This encounter matters because it shows the conflict remains active despite repeated government claims of momentum. On event date 2025-02-09, the key facts were a large police operation, a high rebel death toll, and the loss of two security personnel in a forest battle that could still rise once search teams complete their work.