Published By : Bratati Baral
| August 14, 2025 12:06 PM
Malkangiri, August 14: Two senior Naxal leaders were killed in a fierce encounter with security forces in the Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. The gunfight took place during a combing operation in the dense forest area of Banda Pahad–Retegao, under the Madanwada region.
The slain Maoists have been identified as Vijay Reddy, a key member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, and Lokesh Salem, a divisional committee secretary. Both were long-time operatives of the banned outfit and were wanted in multiple cases of violence and killings. Authorities had announced a combined reward of ₹35 lakh for their capture, with ₹10 lakh on Reddy alone.
According to SP Y.P. Singh, the duo had been active in the Naxal movement for several years and played a major role in orchestrating attacks against security forces. A significant cache of Naxal materials was recovered from the site of the encounter.
Security forces have intensified their combing operations in the region, which remains under high alert following the successful crackdown.
