Mandla: In a significant operation, two female Maoists, each with a bounty of Rs 14 lakh, were gunned down during a fierce encounter with security forces in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla district on Wednesday morning, according to a senior police official.

The clash occurred within the jurisdiction of Bichhiya police station, as confirmed by Director General of Police (DGP) Kailash Makwana.

The confrontation yielded a haul of weapons and equipment, including a self-loading rifle (SLR), a standard rifle, a wireless communication device, and various everyday items recovered from the site. Authorities have since launched a search operation to track down any additional Maoists in the area, the DGP added.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav praised the security personnel for their valor, emphasizing that the operation strengthens the state’s resolve to eradicate Naxalism. “I commend the bravery of our forces. This achievement bolsters our commitment, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, to rid India of Naxalism by March 2026,” he stated. The CM expressed confidence that both the nation and Madhya Pradesh would soon be free of terrorism, Naxalism, and extremism.

A Madhya Pradesh Police Headquarters official revealed that the deceased were members of the Bhoramdev Area Committee within the Kanha Bhoramdev (KB) Division, operating in the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh (MMC) zone. The encounter followed credible intelligence about Maoist activity in the Mundidadar-Ganeridadar-Parsatola forest region of Kanha National Park. When security forces moved in, the Maoists initiated heavy gunfire, aiming to inflict casualties and seize weapons. The forces responded decisively, neutralizing the two armed female insurgents.

One of the slain Maoists was identified as Mamta, also known as Ramabai, an Area Committee Member (ACM) and wife of Rakesh OD, a senior zonal committee member of the KB Division. Hailing from Murkudi village under Karochi police station in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, she was found with a single-shot rifle. The second Maoist, Pramila, alias Mase Mandavi, also an ACM of the Bhoramdev Area Committee, was a resident of Paligudhem under Chintalnar police station in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district. An SLR was recovered from her possession.

The official noted that this marks a historic milestone for Madhya Pradesh, with six Maoists eliminated in two encounters within a span of just one-and-a-half months, signaling a robust crackdown on insurgent activities in the state.