Massive anti-Naxal op targets ‘core’ stronghold

NEW DELHI: In what could be a decisive battle against Left-wing extremism ahead of the March 2026 deadline to eliminate the scourge, nearly 5,000 security personnel are closing in on the ‘core’ area of CPI (Maoist) spanning the tri-junction of Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Maharashtra, having “surrounded” 300 Naxalites, including top leaders belonging to the dreaded People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army and Battalion No. 1.
Sources in Chhattisgarh govt said the “largest ever” anti-Naxal operation along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border has been on since Wednesday, with five Naxalites killed so far, three bodies recovered, and several Naxal hideouts busted.
The “decisive” joint operation is being undertaken by multiple elite units.
In a first, IAF choppers deployed to airdrop forces deep into forested areas
These include CRPF and its elite CoBRA battalion, Chhattisgarh’s District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Bastar Fighters, Maharashtra’s C-60 Commandos, and Andhra Pradesh’s Greyhounds, based on intelligence inputs pointing to the presence of several top commanders – including Hidma, responsible for several big Naxal attacks in the Abujmarh region; Deva; and Damodar – in the area along with over 150 hardcore Naxals from the PLGA and Battalion No. 1. Senior officers, including CRPF DG G P Singh, are at the site to oversee the operation.
For the first time, Indian Air Force helicopters have been deployed to strategically air-drop forces deep into forested areas, marking a significant shift in counter-insurgency tactics. “The primary objective is to capture or neutralise top Naxal functionaries such as Hidma, responsible for several deadly Maoist attacks in Abujmarh rgion; Deva, and Damodar,” said a senior police officer.
Hidma is regarded as the mastermind behind Naxal operations in South Bastar and is wanted for multiple deadly attacks. Deva, another senior commander, is also a key figure in Naxal hierarchy. Reports suggest Damodar and other top insurgents may also be present in the region. Capturing or eliminating these leaders is seen as crucial to dismantling the Naxal command structure.
A CRPF source said the joint operation to crush the last Maoist bastion is carefully timed ahead of start of monsoon season, when the deep forests usually become inaccessible. “This will ensure Maoists are eliminated well within the March 2026 deadline,” said an officer.
The joint operation focuses on freeing the dense forest regions of Venkatapuram mandal’s Veerabhadram, Tadapala, Nichhenna, Wajedu mandal, and Morumuru from the hold of Naxals. Thanks to sustained counter-Naxal operations over the past few years, forces like CRPF, in coordination with the state police concerned, have been moving deeper into what were once ‘core’ Naxal areas and setting up forward operating bases.
The officer shared that over 5,000 security personnel are involved in the extensive operation, “which has reportedly surrounded over 300 Naxalites”. Intermittent exchange of fire continues, and forces are working on encircling the remaining Left-wing extremists. “Intelligence suggests that senior Naxal commanders from Battalion No. 1 have been surrounded, raising hopes of major breakthroughs,” said a senior officer of the Chhattisgarh police.
Security forces have cordoned off the entire area and are advancing deeper into the jungle to exert pressure on Naxals, said an officer.