Raipur, February 26 Almost a thousand firearms, including AK-47, INSAS, and SLR rifles, were recovered in Chhattisgarh over the past six years following encounters with Naxalites, as well as from surrendered and arrested insurgents, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said in the state assembly on Thursday.
In a written reply to a question from Leader of the Opposition Charan Das Mahant, Sharma, who holds the Home portfolio, also stated that Naxalites had looted 48 weapons from police and security forces between January 1, 2019, and January 31 of this year, including two SLR light machine guns, 29 AK-47 rifles, two SLR rifles, seven INSAS rifles, and three 9mm pistols.
Mahant, in his written query, had sought details of weapons looted by Naxalites from security forces from 2019-20 until January 31 of this year.
The senior Congress MLA also wanted to know how many Naxalites had surrendered, been arrested, or killed in police encounters since 2020, and what number and types of weapons were recovered or seized from them.
In his reply, Sharma stated that from January 1, 2020, to January 31, 2026, a total of 4,340 Naxalites had surrendered, 3,644 had been arrested, and 666 had been killed in separate encounters.
"Following these encounters, 671 firearms were recovered. During the same period, 80 weapons were seized from arrested Naxalites, while 238 firearms were recovered from those who surrendered. Among the total recovered weapons were 70 AK-47 rifles, 82 Self Loading Rifles (SLRs), and 75 INSAS rifles," Sharma said.