New Delhi, Sep 11 : In a major anti-Maoist operation on Thursday, 10 Maoists, including a senior leader of the banned CPI-Maoist have been neutralised in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband.

Acting upon an intelligence tip-off about the presence of Maoists in the forests of Mainpur area, the teams of Gariaband E30, Special Task Force (STF) and COBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action - an elite unit of CRPF) reached the location and successfully conducted the anti-Maoist operations.

Notably, Central Committee member, Modem Balakrishna alias Balanna alias Ramchandra alias Manoj, 58, was killed in the encounter.

Balakrishna was a resident of the Warangal district of Telangana.

He was carrying a bounty of Rs 1 crore and his encounter is being seen as a last nail on the coffin of the Naxalism scourge in the area.

On Thursday, joint security forces have arrested 26 active Maoist members, including six carrying a collective bounty of Rs 13 lakh, in multiple operations across Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.

The coordinated crackdown was carried out by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) Bijapur, personnel from Gangaloor, Bhairamgarh, Usur, Awapalli and Tarrem police stations, along with CoBRA 205 and CRPF's 196 and 62 Battalions.

Explosives, weapons, and banned propaganda materials were also seized.

According to officials, the arrests were made during anti-Maoist operations in separate police station areas: three from Gangaloor, three from Bhairamgarh, eight from Awapalli, eight from Usur, and four from Tarrem.

Security forces also recovered IEDs, cooker and tiffin bombs, detonators, safety fuses, wires, batteries, digging tools, and Maoist propaganda materials, including banners, posters, and pamphlets.

During questioning, the arrested Maoists confessed they were planning to plant IEDs to target security forces.

Cases have been registered under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Explosives Act, and all accused have been sent to judicial remand.

In the last few months, security forces have successfully neutralised the menace of Naxalism in the red-corridor areas, including in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Telangana.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also reiterated several times in the past few months that that the Union government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is resolved to eradicate Naxalism before March 31, 2026.

/IANS