Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh), Sep 27 : In a 124-hour-long operation in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district, security forces killed three Maoists with a combined bounty of Rs 49 lakh on their heads.

The operation, which took place over three days in the dense Abujhmad forest, led to the recovery of a cache of automatic weapons, including an AK-47 and two self-loading rifles (SLRs).

Among the Maoists killed were Rupesh alias Golu alias Shambha Gosai, carrying a Rs 25 lakh reward, Jagdish alias Ramesh, with a Rs 16 lakh bounty, and Sarita alias Basanti, with a Rs 8 lakh reward.

Bastar Inspector General of Police Sundarraj, in a press conference on Friday, said, 'Information about the presence of Maoists along the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border in the Abujhmad area was received, after which we launched the operation.'

'The encounter began on September 23, and after intense fighting, the bodies of the three Maoists were recovered,' he said.

He dedicated the success of the operation to the bravery and sacrifice of martyred soldiers and reaffirmed the government's commitment to eradicating Maoists by 2026.

The IGP also said that the operation was especially challenging due to the difficult terrain and the tactical advantages it provided to the Maoists.

The operation was part of an ongoing anti-Naxal campaign in the Bastar region, which has seen the elimination of 157 Maoists so far this year, with 33 of them killed in the Abujhmad area alone.

'Our primary goal is to restore peace and stability in the region. We will continue operations until the Maoist menace is fully eradicated," Sundarraj asserted.

He outlined plans for future operations to completely clear the region of Maoist influence.

He also reiterated the government's stance, urging Maoists to surrender and rejoin the mainstream of society.

/IANS