Latest news with #MissionSankalp
New Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
22 Maoists killed in ongoing anti-Maoist operation ‘Mission Sankalp' in Chhattisgarh
RAIPUR: At least twenty-two Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces during the ongoing anti-Maoist operation 'Mission Sankalp' in the volatile south-west forest border area of Bijapur district adjoining Telangana, a senior police officer said on Wednesday. The gunbattle broke out in the morning near the Karregutta hilly terrain along the interstate border. 'So far, 22 bodies have been recovered as the search operation continues in the region. The identity of the dead Maoists are yet to be established,' he said. In the past two weeks of the massive offensive in south Bastar, security forces have gunned down 26 Maoists, including three women Naxalites who were killed in an exchange of fire on April 24, followed by the neutralisation of one woman Maoist on 5 May. 'Several weapons have been recovered during the ongoing 'decisive' inter-state operation involving more than 15,000 security personnel over the past 12 days, as troops continue to march cautiously ahead towards the lesser-known Karregutta forested hills, surrounded by dense terrain, believed to be a crucial safe haven for senior Maoist leaders including top commanders of their battalion,' the officer said.
Scroll.in
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Chhattisgarh: Over 15 suspected Maoists killed in gunfight with security forces in Bijapur
More than 15 suspected Maoists were killed on Wednesday in a gunfight with security forces in the forests of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, PTI reported quoting an unidentified police officer. The gunfight erupted in the morning in the Karregutta hills along the state's border with Telangana during counter-insurgency operation ' Mission Sankalp', which began on April 21. At least 19 suspected Maoists have been killed since. This is arguably the largest anti-Maoist operation launched by Indian security forces, and comes at a time when the insurgent Communist Party of India (Maoist) has repeatedly expressed its willingness to participate in peace talks. The operation involves 24,000 troops of the District Reserve Guard, the Bastar Fighter Force, the Special Task Force, Chhattisgarh Police, the Central Reserve Police Force and its Commando Battalions for Resolute Action. 'All security forces are safe and fully committed to ensuring a safe and secure Bastar region,' an unidentified official told The Indian Express on Wednesday. 'Search operations are on.' They added that security forces had found over 250 Improvised Explosive Devices in the region since April 21. 'Despite difficult geographical conditions and numerous challenges, the security forces are carrying forward this decisive operation against Left Wing Extremism with full commitment and determination,' the newspaper quoted Sundarraj P, inspector general of police for the Bastar range, as saying. 'Many hideouts and bunkers have been destroyed.' He added: 'Thousands of kilogrammes of explosive material, ration material, medicines, items of daily use and detonators were recovered from Naxal hideouts and bunkers.' With the development on Wednesday, over 150 suspected Maoists have been killed in gunfights with security personnel this year. In 2024, 217 suspected Maoists were killed by security forces. Malini Subramaniam has reported for Scroll that while many of those killed in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh in 2024 were declared by the police to be reward-carrying Maoists, several families dispute the claim. The families claim that the persons killed were civilians. Two days after the launch of 'Mission Sankalp', Subramaniam travelled to the foothills to observe it. On April 23, near Palam village in Telangana, she saw a large pick-up van carrying what appeared to be bodies, wrapped in yellow plastic sheets – possibly, Maoist casualties. Since March 28, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) has released four statements asking for a ceasefire. 'Despite the possibility of the problem being resolved through peace talks, the government is attempting to find a solution through violence and oppression,' the group said in statement on April 25. Taking note of the ongoing security operation, it added: 'The operation should be halted immediately. The troops should be withdrawn. We request the government to resolve the problem through talks.' The Union government has repeatedly vowed to eradicate 'Left Wing Extremism' in the country by March 31, 2026.
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
At least 15 Maoists killed as decisive op targeting top leadership enters third week
More than 15 Maoists have been killed in the Karegutta hills on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border in a major operation by a joint team of security forces, officials said Wednesday. This takes the total number of Maoists killed since the start of the operation more than two weeks ago to 19. According to officials, the number is expected to go up further and search operations are continuing. 'More than 15 Maoists have been killed. All security forces are safe and fully committed to ensuring a safe and secure Bastar region. Search operations are on,' said an official. On Monday, a body of a Maoist cadre was recovered with a .303 rifle. In a related development, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Assistant Commandant Sagar Borade, 32, who suffered serious injuries on his left-leg in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast on Sunday morning underwent a surgery in AIIMS Delhi on Monday, where the leg was medically amputated to prevent spread of infection. A CRPF official confirmed to The Indian Express that Borade on Sunday morning was leading a team to evacuate another jawan who had suffered injuries in an IED blast. 'Borade was leading the evacuation team from the front when he inadvertently stepped on an IED hidden in the ground which caused grievous injuries to his leg,' said the official. The operation, Mission Sankalp, began on April 21 and involves the mobilisation of 24,000 troops, including those from the Indian Air Force, to the inter-state border. It is still underway. So far, over 250 IEDs in and around the hills have been found by the forces. The forces had earlier said key Maoist leaders are holed up in the hills, safeguarded by their strongest military formation, Battalion 1 of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, the armed unit of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). In a statement on Tuesday, the Chhattisgarh police said, 'Based on certain facts and our knowledge so far, senior Maoist leaders have either been killed or suffered injuries in the encounter. However, due to difficult geographical conditions, the security forces have not been able to recover the bodies of all the injured or killed Naxalites.' Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, said, 'Despite difficult geographical conditions and numerous challenges, the security forces are carrying forward this decisive operation against Left Wing Extremism with full commitment and determination. Many hideouts and bunkers have been destroyed.' 'Thousands of kilogrammes of explosive material/ration material/medicines, items of daily use and detonators were recovered from Naxal hideouts and bunkers,' he said. The 24,000-strong troops comprise jawans from central and state forces — District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Bastar Fighters, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), an elite unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and CRPF jawans. This year, 129 Maoists have been gunned down in the Bastar region, while 146 Maoists have been killed in Chhattisgarh overall. A total of 219 Maoists were killed last year in the state, including 217 in Bastar.
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Mission Sankalp to flush out Naxal leadership crosses 2-week mark, IGP calls it ‘decisive op'
A suspected Maoist's body was recovered on Monday amid a massive anti-Naxal operation along the Karregutta hills on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, taking the toll during the current offensive to four. Security forces say they found the Maoist's body on the hills, along with a .303 archaic rifle. All four Maoists killed so far are women. In a related development on Sunday, CRPF assistant commandant Sagar Borade suffered injuries during the operation and was airlifted to AIIMS Delhi on Monday. He is in a stable condition. Two Special Task Force (STF) jawans also suffered injuries in an IED blast on Sunday. So far, seven jawans have sustained injuries in IED blasts during the operation. The operation, Mission Sankalp, began on April 21 and involves the mobilisation of 24,000 troops, including those from the Indian Air Force (IAF), to the inter-state border. It is still underway. The forces had earlier said key Maoist leaders are holed up in the hills, safeguarded by their strongest military formation, Battalion 1 of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, the armed unit of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). In a statement on Tuesday, the Chhattisgarh police said, 'Based on certain facts and our knowledge so far, senior Maoist leaders have either been killed or suffered injuries in the encounter. However, due to difficult geographical conditions, the security forces have not been able to recover the bodies of all the injured or killed Naxalites.' Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, said, 'Despite difficult geographical conditions and numerous challenges, the security forces are carrying forward this decisive operation against Left Wing Extremism with full commitment and determination. Many hideouts and bunkers have been destroyed.' 'Thousands of kilograms of explosive material/ration material/medicines, items of daily use and detonators were recovered from Naxal hideouts and bunkers,' he said. The 24,000-strong troops comprise jawans from the central and state forces – District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Bastar Fighters, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), an elite unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and CRPF jawans. This year, 129 Maoists have been gunned down in the Bastar region, while 146 Maoists have been killed in Chhattisgarh overall. A total of 219 Maoists were killed last year in the state, including 217 in Bastar.
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Two Special Task Force personnel injured in IED blast during anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh
Two personnel of the Special Task Force (STF) were injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, where a massive operation against ultras has been underway for two weeks, police said on Monday (May 5, 2025). The operation, ' Mission Sankalp', involving about 24,000 security personnel on sprawling hills of Karregutta and adjoining hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, was launched on April 21 to track down hardcore Naxalites. Two STF jawans sustained minor injuries in the blast on Sunday (May 4, 2025), an official said. He said, "The injured jawans were administered treatment at a local hospital and were later referred to a higher centre." With this, six security personnel, including one belonging to CRPF, have been injured in IED blasts during the operation, the official said. The operation, one of the biggest counter-insurgency actions launched in the Bastar region, involves personnel of different units, including the District Reserve Guard, Bastar Fighters and STF of the Chhattisgarh police, the Central Reserve Police Force and its elite Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA). The operation is underway on the inaccessible terrain and dense forest spread across 800 sq km on both sides of the interstate border Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) and Mulugu and Bhadradri-Kothagudem (Telangana), over 450 km away from Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur. "The operation has reached its climax, and so far, around 75% of the area has been cordoned off and demined. The final phase of the operation is likely to conclude by the end of this week," a senior official monitoring the operation told PTI. He said, "The outcome of an anti-Naxal operation is not only determined by the number of Naxalites killed or weapons recovered. Clearing the area from the captivity of the banned Maoist outfit and making the land safe again for the native population is also an important objective of the operation." On April 24, three women Naxalites were killed on Karregutta hills, and a huge cache of weapons, explosives and other materials was recovered during the operation. The official said the area, which is surrounded by dense forests and a range of hills, is considered the safe hideout of Maoists' PLGA (people's liberation guerilla army) battalion No. 1, the strongest military formation of Maoists. He said the inputs suggested more than 500 Naxalites belonging to PLGA battalion No. 1, Telangana state committee and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of Maoists led by their hardcore and dreaded leaders, including Central Committee Members Chandrana, Ramachandra Reddy, Sujatha and Hidma, PLGA battalion commander Barse Deva, had gathered for a meeting and were holed up in the area.
