Four Maoists, including three women, were killed in an intense encounter with security forces on Wednesday in the dense Koparshi forest located along the Maharashtra–Chhattisgarh border in Gadchiroli district. The gun battle continued for nearly eight hours making it one of the most prolonged encounters in the region in recent months.
According to police officials, intelligence inputs were received on August 25 regarding the presence of Maoist formations like the Gatta Dalam and Company No. 10 in the area. Both these squads are considered highly active and have been involved in several past attacks on security forces. The Maharashtra Police mobilised 19 special C-60 commando units along with two Quick Action Teams (QATs) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police (Operations) M. Ramesh.
The operation began in the early hours of Wednesday. Heavy rainfall in the Bhamragad region over the last two days made movement difficult in the dense and slippery forest terrain. Security forces began combing operations in Koparshi when they suddenly came under heavy fire from Maoists hiding in the thick foliage.
A fierce gunfight then broke out with Maoists firing indiscriminately and security personnel retaliating in an organised manner. The encounter continued in intervals over the next eight hours with both sides exchanging gunfire until the Maoist firing finally came to an end.
During the post-encounter search, police recovered the bodies of four Maoists. Three of them were women cadres highlighting the active participation of women in Maoist formations. Security forces also seized four weapons from the site, one self-loading rifle (SLR), two INSAS rifles and one .303 rifle. The recovery of these weapons is being seen as a significant blow to the Maoist group’s firepower in the area.
Officials said that other Maoists possibly fled deeper into the forest during the exchange of fire. Massive combing operations are still underway across the border areas of Gadchiroli and Narayanpur to track down the remaining members of the group.
Police have described this as a “major success” against Maoist insurgents who often use the thick forests of Gadchiroli as a base for their operations. The district has long been one of the most sensitive regions in Maharashtra for Maoist activity.
Over the years, it has witnessed several deadly encounters between maoists and security forces. Senior officials said that such joint action and consistent intelligence-based operations will continue to curb Maoist movements in the region.