Forty Maoists were reportedly killed in an encounter along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border after security forces acted on a tip-off about their presence. The District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) engaged in a heavy exchange of fire in the Narayanpur-Dantewada forest area, recovering the bodies and several assault rifles.
Dantewada SP Gaurav Rai suggested that the death toll might rise as search operations continue. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai commended the police for their success, asserting confidence in eliminating Naxalism from the state by March 2026, as promised by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
