Naxal attack

The operation began when the authorities were tipped off about the whereabouts of a senior naxal nicknamed Papa Rao. Rao has a bounty of almost Rs 40 lakh. It is believed that Papa Rao has also been eliminated in the encounter however, no confirmation regarding the same has been obtained.

Dantewada was retained by the BJP's Bhima Mandavi in 2018. Mandavi and four security officers were murdered days before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as their convoy was attacked in Dantewada district by Naxals. Notably, this time the BJP is represented by Chaitram Atani, a former member of the now-illegal Sulwa Judum movement.

The official from Chhattisgarh stated that one of the personnel passed away immediately and the other succumbed to injuries while being rushed to a nearby hospital.