New Delhi: In recent years, the Indian government has upped the ante in the fight against Naxals, with the number of militants in Chhattisgarh, the main hub of those forces, coming down significantly. For the past five days, around 10,000 security personnel has launched a massive operation against Naxalites in a hilly region along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. The operation is said to be the biggest anti-Maoist operation of the year and its target are the top commanders.
As per reports, around 500 cadres of Communist Party of India (Maoist) which is banned in India, including top leaders have sought shelter in the area and the security personnel are being helped by the Telangana Police in the exercise. The operation is reportedly one of biggest counter-insurgency actions in the Bastar region, and it involves personnel of different units including the Bastar Fighters, the District Reserve Guard, the Central Reserve Police Force, its elite Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA), and Special Task Force of the Chhattisgarh Police.
#WATCH | Bijapur, Chhattisgarh: Biggest anti-Naxal operation is being carried out by security forces in the Karregutta hills and the surrounding dense forest area for the last 4 days.
Today is the fifth day of the operation. According to officials, three Naxalites have been… pic.twitter.com/UaL2hcN6dt
— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2025
The actions against the Naxals
On the morning of April 24, during the operation, at least three members of the banned CPI (Maoist) were killed in an encounter in Bijapur. Also, a huge amount of weapons, explosives and other materials were recovered. The name of the expedition is ‘Operation Karreguttalu’ and it was launched from the Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh to the Karregutta Hills in Telangana’s Mulugu district after security agencies received specific inputs that some top Maoist leaders and commanders were in the area including Hidma Madvi. According to reports, Bijapur is the base of the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army battalion No. 1, the Maoists’ strongest military group.
The 210th battalion of CRPF’s CoBRA units are leading the operation with the help of other armed forces. To track Hidma, the forces deployed about four choppers, two drone squadrons, and satellite imagery and maps provided by the NTRO. Since January 2024, the security forces have killed over 350 Naxalites and in March 29, 18 Naxalites, including 11 women, were killed. This year, 144 Naxalites have been killed so far in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh. While three Maoists from Battalion 1 of the PLGA have been killed in the current encounter, the number of their toll and injuries could be reportedly higher.
