(Image source from: Ddnews.gov.in)

In the largest ever operation against insurgency in Kanker district of Bastar, the security forces successfully eliminated 29 Naxals. During the encounter, three soldiers, including a Border Security Force inspector, sustained injuries. Among the deceased ultras were two Naxal leaders, Shankar Rao and Lalita Madhvi, who held high positions in the organization and had a reward of 25 lakh rupees on their heads. Acting on credible intelligence regarding the presence of a significant number of armed Leftwing rebels, including senior Naxal leaders, a joint team of BSF and DRG launched a search operation in the Binaguna-Koragutta jungles. Unfortunately, near the village of Happatola, the search party was attacked by the Naxals, resulting in a fierce encounter. After the confrontation, the security forces discovered the bodies of the 29 Naxals, along with an assortment of firearms such as AK 47 assault rifles, INSAS, self-loading rifles (SLRs), carbines, and .

According to P. Sunderraj, the injured BSF inspector, Ramesh Choudhury, along with two DRG jawans, were transported by air from the encounter location to Raipur for medical treatment, as confirmed by the police. Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also serves as the state's home minister, described the security forces' operation against the Naxals in the Maad area of Kanker and Narayanpur districts in Chhattisgarh, as well as in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, as a surgical strike in Bastar. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is currently in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, contacted Sharma via phone to assess the situation.