According to sources, more than 20,000 security forces from three states have surrounded more than 1,000 Naxals in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, in what is being called the nation’s largest-ever anti-Naxal operation. The operation, which involved security personnel from Maharashtra, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh, has resulted in the deaths of at least five Naxals. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a deadline of March 31, 2026, to eradicate naxalism, coinciding with the huge crackdown.
Following intelligence reports on the whereabouts of key Naxal leaders, such as battalion chief Deva and the elusive and most-wanted commander Hidma, the operation, which has been continuing on for more than 48 hours, was started.
The operation involves security personnel from various units, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA), the District Reserve Guard (DRG), the Bastar Fighters, the Special Task Force (STF), and all state police units. To prevent the Naxals from escaping, the security forces have encircled the Karregutta hills, which are situated along the delicate Chhattisgarh-Telangana boundary.
The region is thought to be the base of Maoist battalion no. 1 and is encircled by thick forests and a range of hills. The Naxals had urged people not to travel into the hills in a news release a few days prior, claiming that many IEDs had been planted in the area.
The government has prioritized rendering India “Maoist-free” at the time of the development. “Before March 31, 2026, we will completely eradicate Naxalism from the country so that no citizen of the country has to lose his life due to it,” Amit Shah stated in February.
Almost 150 Naxalites have been shot dead in various clashes in Chhattisgarh so far this year. The Naxals’ heartland, the Bastar division, has seen the elimination of 124 of them. In the same breath, the Center has also taken harsh measures against the Naxals in Jharkhand. Eight Naxals, including a key leader with a Rs 1 crore bounty, were slain last week in a clash with CRPF CoBRA commandos in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district.
