Three weapons, including two automatic firearms, were recovered, taking the total number of Maoists killed this year to 25. (File Photo)Two more Maoists were killed in an encounter with the District Reserve Guard (DRG) in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district Thursday morning. Three weapons, including two automatic firearms, were recovered. This takes the total number of Maoists killed this year to 25.The encounter broke out at around 6 am near the Indravati river, close to Behramgarh. Both the Behramgarh area committee and the Indravati area committee are active in the region. This comes as the central government’s March 31 dead.Also Read | 14 Maoists killed in Sukma-Bijapur encounters as top commander surrendersAfter the exchange of fire ended, the DRG conducted a search operation and found the bodies of two Maoists from the Behramgarh area committee, identified as Area Committee Member (ACM) Hichami Madd and ACM Manki Podium.“We found bodies of two Maoists dressed in PLGA uniform. We found a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) along with 3 magazines and 55 rounds, an INSAS rifle with 3 magazines and 19 rounds and a 12-bore rifle with 2 cells,” said Bijapur SP Jitendra Kumar Yadav. “Both carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh each,” said Additional SP (anti-naxal ops) Aman Kumar.Extensive search operations are currently being conducted in the area by teams from the DRG, Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).Maoists in Bijapur are still planting IEDs and trying to influence villagers in the Behramgarh and National Park areas. About 60-armed cadres are still active in the district, and efforts continue to persuade them to surrender.In a related development, three more Maoists have surrendered, the latest being Mase, who surrendered with an AK-47 in Kanker district on Thursday. A day before her surrender, two more Maoists — DVCM Mallesh and party member Ranu Podiyam of the North Bastar Division Committee of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) — surrendered before Kanker police.Story continues below this ad“We are trying to recover weapons from the duo and will take efforts to socially reintegrate them,” said Nikhil Rakhecha, Superintendent of Police (SP), Kanker. With this, a total of 2,400 Maoists have laid down arms since 2024. Also, since 2024, a total of 529 Maoists have been gunned down to date.Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India. Expertise and Experience Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of: Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages. Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states. Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering: Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements. Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law. Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in: Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel. Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India. Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd