Four suspected Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district on Wednesday, The Hindu reported.

More than 12 teams of the state’s Hawk security force, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action and the district police conducted a search operation following a tip off about movement of Maoists near the Raunda Forest camp of Soopkhar forest area, Balaghat Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Dabar told the Hindustan Times.

Dabar said that other suspected Maoists were injured in the gunfight and managed to escape into the forest, prompting an extensive search operation.

The forest where the gunfight took place is near Madhya Pradesh’s border with Chhattisgarh and the police suspect that the four women who were killed are likely from the neighbouring state, Balaghat Additional Superintendent of Police of the Hawk Force Shiyaz KM told The Hindu.

The police recovered an Indian small arms system rifle, a self-loading rifle and a .303 rifle along with ammunition and survival gear during the search operation.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that “there is no place for Naxalism and violent activities” in Madhya Pradesh.

“Under the guidance of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, the Honourable Home Minister Shri Amit Shah ji is running a campaign to eliminate Naxalism from the country by the year 2026 and our government is also working seriously in this direction,” Yadav said.

Over the past five years, 20 Maoists have been killed in gunfights with security forces in Madhya Pradesh.

In 2024, 217 suspected Maoists were killed by security forces across the country. This year, at least 75 suspected Maoists have been killed in gunfights with security forces in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

In August, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Maoism will end in the country by March 31, 2026. “A strong and ruthless strategy is required for launching the last assault against such groups,” Shah said.

Malini Subramaniam has reported for Scroll that while many of those killed in Bastar in 2024 were declared by the police to be reward-carrying Maoists, several families dispute the claim. The families claim that the persons killed were civilians.