Raipur: At least five Naxalites have been killed so far in what is being considered the largest-ever anti-Naxal operations in the country, with over 20,000 security personnel from Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Maharashtra, encircling over 1,000 rebels in the forests of Bijapur, Chhattisgarh.
According to sources, the operation by the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force and the CRPF’s CoBRA battalions, has been going on for 48 hours now. There are credible inputs of the most-wanted commander Hidma and battalion chief Deva being among the Maoists surrounded.
“All escape routes have been blocked. They will either have to surrender or die. The progress is slow as a large number of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) have been planted by the Naxalites,” a senior police official said.
This is part of a major thrust towards ridding the country of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) by the end of March 2026, as announced by Union home minister Amit Shah.
According to the official, security forces have totally surrounded the Karregutta Hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. Surrounded by dense forests, this area is considered the base of Battalion 1 of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). A few days ago, the Maoists had warned villagers against entering the Hills due to a large number of IEDs planted there.
In 2025, at least 150 Maoists have been killed in Chhattisgarh. Of them, 124 have died in the Bastar division alone. An all out attempt is being made to neutralise Maoists in other states as well. Recently, eight guerillas were killed in Bokaro, in an encounter with CoBRA commandos. Among them was a top Maoist with a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head.
