14 Naxalites Killed in Chhattisgarh Encounters; Top Maoist Leader Among Dead

• At least 14 Naxalites were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma and Bijapur districts on Saturday.
• 12 Maoist cadres were neutralized in Sukma during an anti-Naxal operation by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) near Pamlur village in the Kistaram area.
• Mangdu, secretary of the Konta Area Committee, was identified among the 12 Naxalites killed in Sukma; automatic weapons like AK-47 and INSAS rifles were recovered.
• Two more Maoists were killed in a separate gunfight with a DRG team in neighboring Bijapur district in the early hours of Saturday.
• Operations are still underway in both locations, with intermittent firing reported; identities of most slain cadres are yet to be established.

Why It Matters: Major anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh result in 14 deaths, including a key leader.