RAIPUR: The Maoist death toll from Wednesday’s security operation in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region climbed to 18 after six additional bodies were recovered on Thursday from the encounter site along the Dantewada–Bijapur border. Among those found was wanted PLGA commander Vella Modiyam.
Nine of the slain Maoists were women, and together the group carried a cumulative bounty of ₹1.3 crore. Three security personnel also lost their lives in the firefight. Police said the operation delivered a major setback to Maoist dominance in the Gangaloor area. “Vella, also known as Mangu Modiyam, served as the Maoists’ operational and intelligence chief in Gangaloor. He was involved in several crimes, including the killings of a minor, a student, and a villager in Peddakorma,” Bastar IGP Sundarraj said.
Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai praised the forces for their efforts and said the sacrifice of the three personnel killed in action “will not go in vain.” Deputy CM Vijay Sharma added that Naxalism in Chhattisgarh was now in its “final stages,” with security forces conducting mop-up operations across Bastar.
