27 suspected Maoists killed in gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad
Several ‘senior-level Maoist cadres’ are believed to have been killed or seriously injured, said the police.
Twenty-seven suspected Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad region on Wednesday, the police said.
A District Reserve Guard team member was also killed in the gunfight, according to the police.
It is “estimated that several senior-level Maoist cadres have either been killed or seriously injured” in the gunfight, the police stated.
The gunfight took place near Boter village in the Abujhmad region. Abujhmad is a hilly forest area covering the Narayanpur, Bijapur and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh.
The Union government has repeatedly vowed to eradicate “Left Wing Extremism” in the country by March 31, 2026.
On May 14, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the security forces had killed 31 suspected Maoists since April 21 in Chhattisgarh’s Karregutta hills as part of a counter-insurgency operation.
Is Maoist top man Namballa Kesava Rao among the killed in Chhattisgarh gun fight?
Sources in the Telangana police have confirmed that Kesava Rao is believed to be among those killed. Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh police have reported the deaths of several senior Maoist leaders, though they have yet to officially disclose any names.
Reports emanating from the encounter site, indicate that there are several top cadre Maoist leaders among those killed. Sources in Telangana police indicate that Kesava Rao was indeed one among the killed. The Chhattisgarh police have also indicated about deaths of several top cadre Maoist leaders, but have so far not revealed the names.
Kesava Rao hailed from Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and is aged around 67 years. He was made as the General Secretary of the CPI Maoist, after its charismatic leader Muppala Laxmana Rao alias Ganapathi stepped down from the post in 2017. Kesava Rao, known to be the best military brain in the banned party, headed the Central Military Commission (CMC) for a long time before being elevated to the top position
