"AK-47s, explosives seized in Chhattisgarh Maoist encounter: Security forces."

Six naxalites were killed after security forces exchanged fire with them while out on an operation on Friday in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district, said police.

Along with the bodies of six naxalites, the security forces recovered a huge cache of weapons from the encounter site.

Joint teams of security forces were out on an anti-Naxal operation following an intelligence inputs regarding the presence of Maoists in the area when a gunfight broke out in the forests of southern Chhattisgarh's Abujhmad region.

Apart from the bodies, a cache of AK-47/SLR rifles, several other weapons, explosive materials, and daily use items have also been recovered from the site.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed the security forces for their courage and said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of home minister Amit Shah, his government is moving towards its resolve of "Naxal Mukt Chhattisgarh" (Naxal Free Chhattisgarh).

"In a major operation by security forces, six Naxalites have been neutralised so far in Abujhmad of Narayanpur district. I congratulate all the brave jawans of the security forces involved in the operation and salute their indomitable courage," the CM wrote in a post on X.

"The valour of the jawans has further strengthened our resolve of 'Naxal Mukt Chhattisgarh'. Under the leadership of PM Modi ji and the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji, we are moving forward firmly towards the accomplishment of the resolve of making the country completely Maoist-free by March 31, 2026," he added.

This year, 221 Naxalites have been neutralised so far in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh, said a PTI report. Of them, 204 were eliminated in the Bastar division, which includes districts of Bijapur, Bastar, Kanker, Konadagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, and Dantewada, as per police.