Naxal attack in India’s Bijapur kills eight soldiers, driver

Eight members of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and one driver lost their lives in a deadly attack by Naxalites using an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, India.

The blast occurred on the Bedre-Kutru Road as the DRG personnel, who had been part of a joint operation, were returning in a Scorpio vehicle, according to Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, Caliber.Az reports citing Indian media.

The operation had been a collaborative effort involving the districts of Dantewada, Narayanpur, and Bijapur.

This attack, which targeted the DRG, a unit of the state police, marks the most significant strike by Naxalites on security personnel in the past two years. A similar incident occurred on April 26, 2023, when a Naxal-triggered blast killed ten police officers and a civilian driver as part of a convoy in the neighboring Dantewada district.

Reacting to the attack, Home Minister Amit Shah expressed deep sorrow over the loss of DRG personnel in the IED blast. On the social media platform X, Shah assured that the sacrifice of the soldiers would not be in vain, reaffirming the government's commitment to eradicating Naxalism from India by March 2026.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also conveyed his condolences on X, calling the attack an “extremely sad” event. He condemned the Naxalite assault, attributing it to their frustration with the ongoing anti-Naxal campaign in the Bastar region. He emphasized that the martyrdom of the soldiers would not be forgotten and vowed to continue the fight to eradicate Naxalism.

Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao labeled the attack as “cowardly” and reassured the public that the sacrifice of the soldiers would not be in vain. He reiterated the government's goal of freeing Bastar from Naxalism by 2026.

In a separate development, the death toll of Naxalites in a recent encounter in Bastar’s forested region increased to five. The encounter, which started on Saturday evening in the south Abujhmaad area, involved security personnel conducting an anti-Naxal operation along the Narayanpur-Dantewada border.

Initial reports confirmed the deaths of four Naxalites, with one more body recovered later, raising the toll to five, including two women. The operation, which was launched on Friday, involved personnel from the DRG across four districts—Narayanpur, Bastar, Kondagaon, and Dantewada—and the Special Task Force (STF).

In another related incident on January 3, a Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security forces in Gariaband district, part of the Raipur division. Last year, a total of 219 Naxalites were killed in encounters with security forces across Chhattisgarh.

By Vafa Guliyeva