April 25, 2025, Bastar (Chhattisgarh) [India]: In one of the most significant anti-Naxal operations in India’s history, security forces on Friday launched a decisive offensive against Naxal insurgents in the dense forests and rugged terrain of Karegutta Hill in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh. The operation aims to target top Naxal leaders, including some of the most wanted commanders like Hidma, Damodar, and Deva.
According to police sources, around 10,000 security personnel from Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Telangana have been mobilized for the operation. The forces involved include the Chhattisgarh’s DRG, Bastar Fighter, STF, Cobra, CRPF, Telangana’s Greyhounds, and Maharashtra’s C-60. This large-scale operation comes in response to precise intelligence inputs about the presence of senior Naxal leaders in the area.
The operation is considered crucial as it targets the military wing of the CPI (Maoist) PLGA Battalion-1, as well as key Naxal think tanks such as the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee and the Telangana State Committee. During the first day of the operation, security personnel recovered the bodies of three slain Naxals along with weapons. The initial search suggests that many more Naxals may have been killed or injured in the encounter, with an extensive follow-up search still underway.
The operation is described as a “test match,” with the expectation that it may last a long time, but that it will ultimately yield favorable results. While the security forces face challenges posed by the hot climate, rough terrain, and numerous IEDs planted by the Naxals, their morale remains high. De-mining exercises are being carried out to prevent any accidents involving security personnel and civilians.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai have reiterated their commitment to eradicating armed Naxalism from the state by March 26, 2026, emphasizing that the government will respond to violence with force. Since the formation of the BJP government in Chhattisgarh on December 3, 2023, security forces have neutralized 365 Naxals, arrested 1,382, and witnessed 2,306 Naxal cadres surrender and join the mainstream. In 2025 alone, 144 Naxals have been neutralized, 367 arrested, and 476 have surrendered.
The ongoing operation is part of a broader strategy to end the Naxal insurgency in Chhattisgarh, focusing on both military action and rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
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