Tricolour flying proudly on hilltop Maoist stronghold after biggest Op, says Shah

Time of India

14-05-2025

Raipur: Security forces dealt a crushing blow to Maoists in the 24-day
Karegutta Hills operation
-- 31 hardcore PLGA cadres were killed, the Naxals' 'unified command centre' was smashed and four weapons manufacturing factories were destroyed,
CRPF
DG GP Singh and Chhattisgarh DGP Arun Dev said at a press meet in Bijapur on Wednesday.
"Today, the Tricolour is flying proudly on the hill on which red terror once reigned," said Union home minister Amit Shah, lauding the forces for their bravery in extremely hostile conditions.
Ahead of the press briefing, Maoist central committee member and spokesperson Abhay released a statement, admitting to the death of 26 cadres and yet again appealing for peace talks. He also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "clarify if govt was open to negotiations".The mission began on April 21 on the Karegutta Hills range in Bijapur, on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. Shrouded in secrecy, there was very little information coming out on the operation that was spread over 1,200 sq km of treacherous, mined terrain.At Wednesday's press briefing, CRPF DG G P Singh said: "We have recovered a large cache of arms, ammunition, and a sniper rifle." DGP Gautam said: "Maoists believed this region to be impenetrable. They thought no one could cross such terrain, but our forces proved them wrong."As many as 21 gunbattles took place between April 21 and May 11, 2025, and 31 bodies of Maoists in uniform were recovered. Sixteen of them are women. Those that have been identified so far carried a combined bounty of over Rs 1.7 crore. Preliminary investigation suggests that they were from PLGA Battalion 1, Telangana State Committee, and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee.Maoists had riddled the hill sides with hundreds of IEDs, making the mission harder for the forces. They advanced cautiously, defusing 450 IEDs along the way, but 15 exploded, injuring 18 jawans. All of them are stable, said officers.Some 216 Maoist hideouts and bunkers were destroyed and searches at these locations yielded a whopping 450 IEDs, 818 BGL rockets, 899 bundles of Cordex, detonators, and large quantities of explosives. Security forces destroyed four Maoist 'technical units', where BGL shells, guns, IEDs, and other weapons were manufactured.Conditions atop Karegutta Hills were extremely harsh, with daytime temperatures exceeding 45°C. Many soldiers suffered from dehydration but continued the operation with high morale, said the officers.A base camp and a helipad were established on the hilltop to support the mission, which was launched following detailed technical intelligence collection and 24-hour analysis, DG CRPF said."Anti-Maoist operations have intensified since 2014 with a unified and multi-dimensional strategy. We have strengthened joint capabilities through integrated training between state and central forces. Today, we are leveraging advanced technology for precise surveillance on Maoist movements," said CRPF DG Singh.As a result of these efforts, the number of Maoist-affected districts has plunged from 35 in 2024 to just 6 in 2025, he added."Maoist-affected police station jurisdictions have reduced from 330 in 76 districts (2014) to 151 in 42 districts (2024). Civilian and security casualties have dropped significantly, with security personnel deaths falling from 88 in 2014 to 19 in 2024. Maoist surrenders increased, with 928 in 2024 and 718 already in 2025. The number of encounters has risen, with 2089 Maoists killed since 2014 — 197 neutralized in just the first four months of 2025," said the CRPF chief.Govt attributed this shift to increased development efforts in remote regions, including construction of roads, mobile towers, schools, and health facilities. More than 320 security camps have been set up across LWE-hit states since 2019 -- 185 of which include Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), joint task forces, and 68 night-landing helipads, the officer said.Security agencies, including NIA and SIA, have intensified investigations into Maoist financial networks, and choked funding sources, said the officers. They also condemned the Maoists' "continued use of child soldiers". "Children are being recruited into Bal Sangham and Chetna Natya Mandali, used as couriers, and later trained to carry weapons," DG Gautam said.Target: Eradication By March 2026The Maoist leadership is fragmented and now forced into hiding in smaller units, said the officer. Forces have pledged to neutralize or force the surrender of remaining leadership cadres by the end of 2025. "The belief in their invincibility has been shattered. We are determined to eliminate the Maoist threat from India by 2026," said DG Gautam.Battleground: Karegutta HillsThe Karegutta Hill range spans about 60km in length and varies from 5km to 20km in width, forming a highly difficult terrain. Over the past two and a half years, Maoists had gradually established a strong base here, housing about 300-350 armed cadres, including the PLGA 'technical department'.Based on intelligence inputs, an operational plan was developed, and from April 21, 2025, a large-scale joint operation was launched by
Chhattisgarh Police
and CRPF. This turned out to be the largest and most extensive
anti-Maoist operation
so far and stands as an excellent example of coordination among various state and central agencies.
The aim of this operation was to weaken the armed strength of the Maoists, neutralize their armed groups, clear them from these difficult terrains, and dismantle the PLGA Battalion.Raipur: Security forces dealt a crushing blow to Maoists in the 24-day Karegutta Hills operation -- 31 hardcore PLGA cadres were killed, the Naxals' 'unified command centre' was smashed and four weapons manufacturing factories were destroyed, CRPF DG GP Singh and Chhattisgarh DGP Arun Dev said at a press meet in Bijapur on Wednesday.
"Today, the Tricolour is flying proudly on the hill on which red terror once reigned," said Union home minister Amit Shah, lauding the forces for their bravery in extremely hostile conditions. Ahead of the press briefing, Maoist central committee member and spokesperson Abhay released a statement, admitting to the death of 26 cadres and yet again appealing for peace talks. He also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "clarify if govt was open to negotiations".The mission began on April 21 on the Karegutta Hills range in Bijapur, on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. Shrouded in secrecy, there was very little information coming out on the operation that was spread over 1,200 sq km of treacherous, mined terrain.At Wednesday's press briefing, CRPF DG G P Singh said: "We have recovered a large cache of arms, ammunition, and a sniper rifle." DGP Gautam said: "Maoists believed this region to be impenetrable. They thought no one could cross such terrain, but our forces proved them wrong."As many as 21 gunbattles took place between April 21 and May 11, 2025, and 31 bodies of Maoists in uniform were recovered. Sixteen of them are women. Those that have been identified so far carried a combined bounty of over Rs 1.7 crore. Preliminary investigation suggests that they were from PLGA Battalion 1, Telangana State Committee, and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee.Maoists had riddled the hill sides with hundreds of IEDs, making the mission harder for the forces. They advanced cautiously, defusing 450 IEDs along the way, but 15 exploded, injuring 18 jawans. All of them are stable, said officers.Some 216 Maoist hideouts and bunkers were destroyed and searches at these locations yielded a whopping 450 IEDs, 818 BGL rockets, 899 bundles of Cordex, detonators, and large quantities of explosives. Security forces destroyed four Maoist 'technical units', where BGL shells, guns, IEDs, and other weapons were manufactured.Conditions atop Karegutta Hills were extremely harsh, with daytime temperatures exceeding 45°C. Many soldiers suffered from dehydration but continued the operation with high morale, said the officers.A base camp and a helipad were established on the hilltop to support the mission, which was launched following detailed technical intelligence collection and 24-hour analysis, DG CRPF said."Anti-Maoist operations have intensified since 2014 with a unified and multi-dimensional strategy. We have strengthened joint capabilities through integrated training between state and central forces. Today, we are leveraging advanced technology for precise surveillance on Maoist movements," said CRPF DG Singh.As a result of these efforts, the number of Maoist-affected districts has plunged from 35 in 2024 to just 6 in 2025, he added."Maoist-affected police station jurisdictions have reduced from 330 in 76 districts (2014) to 151 in 42 districts (2024). Civilian and security casualties have dropped significantly, with security personnel deaths falling from 88 in 2014 to 19 in 2024. Maoist surrenders increased, with 928 in 2024 and 718 already in 2025. The number of encounters has risen, with 2089 Maoists killed since 2014 — 197 neutralized in just the first four months of 2025," said the CRPF chief.Govt attributed this shift to increased development efforts in remote regions, including construction of roads, mobile towers, schools, and health facilities. More than 320 security camps have been set up across LWE-hit states since 2019 -- 185 of which include Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), joint task forces, and 68 night-landing helipads, the officer said.Security agencies, including NIA and SIA, have intensified investigations into Maoist financial networks, and choked funding sources, said the officers. They also condemned the Maoists' "continued use of child soldiers". "Children are being recruited into Bal Sangham and Chetna Natya Mandali, used as couriers, and later trained to carry weapons," DG Gautam said.Target: Eradication By March 2026The Maoist leadership is fragmented and now forced into hiding in smaller units, said the officer. Forces have pledged to neutralize or force the surrender of remaining leadership cadres by the end of 2025. "The belief in their invincibility has been shattered. We are determined to eliminate the Maoist threat from India by 2026," said DG Gautam.Battleground: Karegutta HillsThe Karegutta Hill range spans about 60km in length and varies from 5km to 20km in width, forming a highly difficult terrain. Over the past two and a half years, Maoists had gradually established a strong base here, housing about 300-350 armed cadres, including the PLGA 'technical department'.Based on intelligence inputs, an operational plan was developed, and from April 21, 2025, a large-scale joint operation was launched by Chhattisgarh Police and CRPF. This turned out to be the largest and most extensive anti-Maoist operation so far and stands as an excellent example of coordination among various state and central agencies. The aim of this operation was to weaken the armed strength of the Maoists, neutralize their armed groups, clear them from these difficult terrains, and dismantle the PLGA Battalion.