Ongoing Firearm Transactions in Dantewada; Naxal Corpse Discovered

In the dense, largely unexplored forests of Abujhmad, a 4,000 square kilometre region that stretches from south Bastar in Chhattisgarh to Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, a fierce gunbattle between security forces and Maoists is currently underway.

The encounter, which began in the morning, took place along the border of Dantewada-Narayanpur districts in south Bastar. It is part of ongoing efforts to combat Maoist activities in the region.

The search operation was launched by security forces based on intelligence inputs, targeting around 50 armed Maoists belonging to the East Bastar Division. In the encounter so far, at least half-a-dozen Naxals may have been killed.

The body of a female Maoist, one .303 rifle, and two Barrel Grenade Launchers (BGLs) have been recovered. However, the exact number of casualties among the Maoists is yet to be ascertained as the search operation continues, with security forces still engaged in the jungle.

Abujhmad, loosely translated as 'unknown area', has remained inaccessible to the security forces till recently, making it a safe hideout for top Maoist leaders. The region, despite its size, remains largely unexplored and uninhabited.

This is not the first time that Abujhmad has been a hotbed for Maoist activities. In fact, a Maoist was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in the same area recently. The CPI (Maoist) general secretary Basavraju was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Abujhmad area of Narayanpur district.

The Odisha Government has also initiated a process to reclaim 58,000 acres of land belonging to Lord Jagannath. However, the exact location of this process is not specified.

As the situation in Abujhmad remains tense, further details, including the number of casualties among the Maoists, will be known when all the bodies are recovered. The security forces are working diligently to ensure peace and security in the region.