Sukma, Nov 22 IANS): In a major operation, at least 10 Maoists were killed in the Bheji area in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district by the security forces on Friday.

Several weapons, including three automatic rifles, were recovered by the security forces from the encounter spot. The bodies of the slain Maoists were also found.

The encounter started early in the morning, said officials. The Maoists are believed to have moved from neighbouring Odisha to Chhattisgarh.

A team of the District Reserve Group (DRG) had gone into the area in search of these Maoists after receiving information about their presence.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's office on Friday, in a post on X, said that security forces had successfully neutralised 10 Maoists in a major operation conducted earlier in the day in Sukma district.

“The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction with the operation over this achievement of the security forces and said that his government is working on the policy of zero tolerance towards Naxalism. He also said that ensuring development, peace and safety of citizens in Bastar is the top priority of his government,” his office said in a statement.

This encounter follows another operation on November 16, when five Maoists were neutralised in the dense forests of the Abujhmad region in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur during an encounter with security forces.

The Abujhmad region, which borders Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, is known for being a hotbed of Maoist activity.

Last month, security forces achieved an important victory by neutralising 31 Maoists in one of the most successful operations in Chhattisgarh’s history.

A total of 257 Maoists has been neutralised since January 2024 in Chhattisgarh, apart from 861 arrested and 789 surrendered. Security forces have claimed that the top 14 Maoists operating in the area have already been eliminated.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier said that the government is committed to completely eradicating Maoist insurgency by March 2026, calling them the “biggest enemy” of development, peace, and the bright future of the youth.

Authorities believe that sustained efforts by security forces are steadily eroding the insurgents' influence in the region.

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and the Border Security Force (BSF) conduct operations from time to time based on intelligence input in these Left-wing extremism-affected areas.