3 security personnel, 12 Maoist rebels killed in central India

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - Three Indian security personnel and 12 Maoist rebels, also known as Naxals, were killed during a raid in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, officials said.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai confirmed the death toll and said an "anti-Naxal operation is underway" in Bijapur district.

“Continuous search and combing operations are underway in the area,” Sai wrote on US social media company X Wednesday evening. He added that two other security personnel were also injured in the operation.

The chief minister said the government and security forces remain steadfast in their commitment to the "complete eradication of Maoism."

For more than three decades, Maoist rebels in eastern and central India have fought for what they call the tribal people's rights.

Over 270 Maoists have been killed in encounters in Chhattisgarh this year alone, according to local media reports.

The Indian government has repeatedly pledged to eradicate the insurgency in the state by March 2026.