14 Maoist rebels killed in India

NEW DELHI

At least 14 Maoist rebels, also known as Naxals, were killed in a gun battle between security forces in central India, officials said on Tuesday.

Home Minister Amit Shah, terming it “another mighty blow to Naxalism,” said the rebels were killed in a joint operation along the border between central Chhattisgarh and eastern Orissa states.

“With our resolve for a Naxal-free India and the joint efforts of our security forces, Naxalism is breathing its last today,” Shah wrote on X.

The insurgent group draws inspiration from far-left radical communists, supportive of Maoist political ideology. The rebels have been fighting for more than three decades in eastern and central India for what they describe as the rights of tribal people in the region.

Earlier this month, nine security forces, including a driver, were killed in an attack carried out by the rebels in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh state.

Shah also claimed that the insurgency will be quashed by March 2026.