At least 14 Naxalites, including a senior cadre, were killed in an encounter with security forces along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border in Gariaband district, police said on Tuesday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Maoists were killed in a joint operation by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), SoG Odisha and Chhattisgarh Police along the inter-state border.
He said that with the resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of the security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today.
“Another mighty blow to Naxalism. Our security forces achieved major success towards building a Naxal-free Bharat. The CRPF, SoG Odisha, and Chhattisgarh Police neutralised 14 Naxalites in a joint operation along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border,” he said in a post on X.