Top Maoist Leader Among 10 Killed in Gariyaband Encounter

Fast Summary

• Event: Security forces killed ten Maoists in an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Gariyaband district on September 11, 2025.
• Key Figure: Among the deceased was Manoj alias modem Balakrishna, a central committee member of the banned communist Party of India (Maoist) with a ₹1 crore bounty on his head.
• Action Details: The operation involved units like Special Task Force (STF), E-30 Gariyaband Police, and CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action).
• Background: Manoj joined the Naxal movement in 1983, had aliases such as Balanna and Bhaskar, and was a key leader overseeing CPI(M)’s Odisha State Committee’s activities. He was arrested multiple times but resumed underground activity after bail in 1999.
• Impacts to CPI(M): This marks another importent loss for the Maoists-six Central Committee members have been killed across states this year alone.
• Statistics: In Chhattisgarh alone this year, security forces have killed at least 241 Naxalites-212 from Bastar division and 27 from Gariyaband district.

Indian opinion Analysis

The elimination of key maoist leaders like Manoj highlights intensified counter-insurgency operations against left-wing extremism. As noted by union Home Minister Amit Shah, such efforts are being positioned as part of broader attempts to eradicate insurgency before March 2026. from an operational perspective,targeting high-ranking members disrupts organizational continuity within CPI(M) structures.However, long-term success would depend on addressing socio-economic conditions that fuel extremist recruitment alongside military strategies.

Strategically speaking, while reducing violence is essential for stability anywhere insurgencies persist-Chhattisgarh demonstrates how coordination between state police forces and central elite units like CoBRA has been effective so far. Still, rebuilding trust with local populations remains vital to consolidate peace sustainably.

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