Bijapur/Kanker: In a fresh offensive against Naxals, security forces killed at least 30 members of the banned CPI (Maoist) in two separate encounters in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region on Thursday, officials said. While 26 Naxalites were killed in Bijapur district, four Maoists were gunned down in Kanker by a joint team of the BSF and District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel of the state police.

A police jawan was also killed in the encounter in Bijapur, the officials said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the security forces have achieved another big success in their march to make the country Naxal-free with the two encounters.

"The Modi government is moving forward with a ruthless approach against Naxalites and is adopting a zero-tolerance policy against those Naxalites who are not surrendering despite all the facilities being offered to them, ranging from surrender to inclusion. The country is going to be Naxal-free by March 31 next year," Shah wrote on 'X' in Hindi.

An official said a gunfight broke out around 7 am in a forest along the border of Bijapur and Dantewada districts when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation in Gangaloor police station area in Bijapur. The bodies of 26 Naxalites besides firearms and explosives were recovered from the spot, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range Sundarraj P said. A jawan of the DRG unit was also killed in the gunfight, he said.