Raipur/Bijapur, Jan 29 : Security forces have identified the bodies of two notorious Maoist cadres who were neutralised on Thursday in an extensive search operation.

They have been identified as ACM (Area Committee Member) Pradeep alias Joga and Bhima Weko. Their bodies were recovered from the encounter site in the Kawargatta area of South Bijapur in Chhattisgarh. These cadres belonged to the Pamed Area Committee and carried declared rewards of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh respectively, police officials said.

The two were involved in various violent incidents in the Pamed Area Committee region, including the murder of Bhima Madkam, the former Sarpanch of Kawargatta Gram Panchayat.

Security forces recovered one AK-47 rifle, one 9mm pistol, ammunition, explosives, and other Naxalite materials from the site.

A large-scale search operation continues in the area with teams from DRG, Bastar Fighters, and CRPF actively involved.

Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said that based on specific intelligence about the presence of armed Maoist cadres from the Pamed Area Committee in the Kawargatta-Gundrajgudem forest and hilly terrain under Pamed police station limits in Bijapur district, the DRG team launched a search operation on the evening of January 28.

An exchange of fire occurred between DRG personnel and the Maoists starting around 7:00 a.m. on January 29. After the firing, the bodies of two uniformed Maoist cadres were recovered during the subsequent search.

Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam, noted that both cadres were linked to multiple violent incidents and murders of civilians in the region, including the recent killing of the former Sarpanch.

Jitendra Kumar Yadav emphasised that continuous intelligence-based operations against Maoists in the district have led to consistent successes for security forces.

The killed cadres were active members with bounties on their heads, and such operations will proceed with full determination to ensure peace, security, and development in the district. Sundarraj Pattilingam added that ongoing anti-Naxal operations in the Bastar Range have weakened the Maoist organisation significantly, bringing it close to collapse.

Security forces remain fully committed to the safety of local citizens. The elimination of these two cadres, known for civilian murders and violence, has provided relief and a greater sense of security to the local population.

He appealed once more to remaining cadres to abandon violence, surrender, and join mainstream life through the government's rehabilitation policy, warning that otherwise, security forces are prepared to take decisive legal action.

Extensive and intensive search operations by additional teams of DRG, Bastar Fighters, and CRPF remain underway in the area.

/IANS