Security Forces Eliminate 25 Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Abujhmad Forest

Raipur – Security forces have reportedly killed at least 25 Maoists during an intense encounter in the dense Abujhmad forests of Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district. Recovery of bodies and weapons is currently underway, with the operation still ongoing along the border areas of Dantewada, Narayanpur, and Bijapur districts.

According to police sources, several high-ranking Maoist leaders are believed to be among the dead. "The number may be 26 or even higher," said a senior police official. However, Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar told IANS, “The exact number is yet to be confirmed as the operation is still in progress. Details will be shared later.”

The operation was launched following intelligence reports about the presence of Basava Raju, a top Maoist politburo member and general secretary, in the Boter region of Abujhmad. Raju carries a bounty of ?1.5 crore on his head.

Special forces, including District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel from Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur, and Kondagaon, were deployed for the mission, which began early Tuesday morning with a heavy exchange of fire.

This operation comes shortly after security forces disclosed details of a major offensive in the Karregutta hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. In that operation, 31 Maoists—including 16 women—were killed over a 24-day period.

Among those neutralized in Karregutta was Nambala Keshav Rao alias Gaganna (67), a senior Maoist leader from Andhra Pradesh with a ?1.5 crore bounty. Other top Maoist leaders in the region—some reportedly killed, others absconding—include Mupalla Laxman Rao alias Ganpati (70), Kattam Sudarshan alias Anand (68), Malojulla Bhupati (60), Mishir Besra (63) from Jharkhand, and Thippari Tirupati alias Devji (64) from Telangana.

The Karregutta operation highlights the ongoing and intensified crackdown on Maoist insurgency in the region, marking a significant step in the government's long-term anti-Naxal strategy.

The ongoing Abujhmad operation was launched based on concrete intelligence indicating the presence of a large Maoist contingent in the Maad division.

In a related development, 26 Maoists—including three carrying combined rewards of ?4.5 lakh—surrendered to security forces in Narayanpur last month. Among them were five women Maoists who had been active in various regional committees and each carried a bounty of ?1 lakh. They cited disillusionment with Maoist ideology and years of hardship in the forest as reasons for laying down arms and returning to mainstream life.

Officials have welcomed the surrenders as a positive sign and hope they will encourage more Maoists to abandon violence.

In another significant development on Monday, 24 Maoists surrendered in Bijapur district, including 14 who carried a total bounty of ?28.5 lakh. Eleven of the surrendered individuals were women.

This wave of surrenders coincides with an ongoing, large-scale anti-Maoist operation involving approximately 24,000 security personnel in the Karregutta hills near the Telangana border, launched on April 21.

Officials say many of the surrendered Maoists expressed frustration with the extremist ideology, internal group conflicts, and the violence perpetrated against local tribal communities by their former comrades.

With inputs from IANS