Dantewada: In a major breakthrough for security forces, a woman Naxal, Renuka alias Banu, with a Rs 25 lakh bounty killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada on Monday. Security personnel also recovered a huge cache of ammunition from the encounter site. The entire area has been cordoned off to prevent other Naxalites from fleeing.
Banu was killed two days after 16 by security forces in the Sukma district of the state. Meanwhile, two jawans also sustained minor injuries during the encounter. According to officials, the operation was initiated based on specific intelligence regarding the presence of Naxals in the Kerlapal area under Sukma police station limits.
Notably, Dantewada is located in the Bastar division. So far this year, bodies of 119 Naxalites have been recovered after various encounters in the Bastar range, reported India Today.
Earlier on March 22, Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed Parliament that by March 31, 2026, Naxalism would be eradicated from the country. Shah stated that between 2004 and 2014, there were 16,463 violent incidents, but in the last ten years, this number has decreased by 53 per cent.
He mentioned that from 2004 to 2014, 1,851 security personnel were killed in action, but in the past ten years, the number of security personnel who lost their lives dropped to 509, a reduction of 73 per cent. The number of civilian deaths decreased from 4,766 to 1,495, which is a 70 per cent reduction. The Union Home Minister stated that from 2014 to 2024, 11,503 kilometres of highways were constructed in Naxal-affected areas.
Additionally, 20,000 kilometres of rural roads were built. In the first phase, 2,343 mobile towers were installed, and in the second phase, 2,545 towers were set up. The work of installing 4,000 mobile towers is still ongoing. Shah mentioned that the entire Naxal-affected region will be equipped with mobile connectivity by December 1.
