14 Naxals killed along Odisha-Ch'garh border, another mighty blow to Naxalism: Amit Shah

New Delhi: A senior Maoist leader, who went by the name 'Chalpathi' among the ultras and carried a bounty of Rs one crore, was killed along with 13 other Naxals in an encounter with security forces along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border in Gariaband, officials said on Tuesday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah described the joint operation by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), SoG Odisha and Chhattisgarh Police as "another mighty blow to Naxalism".

He posted on 'X', "with our resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of our security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today."

Jairam alias 'Chalpathi' was a Central Committee member of CPI (Maoist) and his elimination is seen as a blow to the banned organisation whose leadership and cadre base has been diminishing over the years.

Among the 14 ultras killed, two were women. While a CoBRA personnel was also injured in the encounter during the joint operation earlier on Monday, the two women were killed and a large cache of firearms, ammunition and IEDs, including a self-loading rifle, were recovered.

The operation was launched on the night of January 19 based on intelligence about the presence of Maoists in the Kularighat reserve forest of Chhattisgarh, just 5 km from the border of Odisha's Nuapada district.

Later on Monday night and early Tuesday morning, a fresh exchange of fire took place in a forest under the Manipur police station area along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border, in which 12 more Maoists were killed.

Gariaband Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha said intermittent exchange of fire was still underway in the area, and the number of Maoist casualties may increase.

Shah had earlier claimed that security forces have managed to inflict huge losses to the Maoist machinery and the government would end the Naxal menace by March 2026.

A number of top Maoist leaders were killed or have surrendered in recent years, leaving the insurgent group in disarray.