31 Naxals killed in 21-day operation across Karregutta Hills

After a 21-day offensive against Naxals in Chhattisgarh and adjoining regions, the central and state forces eliminated at least 31 Naxals, including 16 women, in the dense forests around Karregutta hills. The hill range spans 60 km in length and varies from 5 km to 20 km in width, forming a highly difficult terrain. Over the past two and a half years, the Maoists gradually established their base here, with about 300-350 armed cadres, including the Technical Department (TD) Unit of the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) and other key organisations, according to the Bastar Police.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the security forces have achieved a historic breakthrough in the resolve to make the country Naxal-free. “I once again assure our countrymen that India is sure to be Naxal-free by March 31, 2026,” Shah wrote on X in Hindi.

He said, “achieving a historic breakthrough in the resolve of #NaxalFreeBharat, security forces killed 31 notorious Naxalites in the Karregutta hills on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border in the biggest-ever operation against Naxalism”.

Karregutta hills was the unified headquarters of big Naxal organisations such as People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) battalion No.1, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), Telangana State Committee (TSC), and Central Regional Committee (CRC), where along with Naxal training, strategies and weapons were also developed, he said.

Addressing a press conference, CRPF Director General GP Singh and Chhattisgarh Director General of Police (DGP) Arun Dev Gautam said during the 21-day operation that started on April 21, the forces have recovered the bodies of 31 Maoists, of which 28 have been identified.

“The eliminated Naxals identified so far carried a reward of Rs 1.72 crore on their heads. The forces have also seized a massive haul of weapons and destroyed four technical units of Naxals that used to manufacture weapons and IEDs,” Vivekanand, Additional DG (Anti-Naxal operations) of Chhattisgarh Police, said.During this crucial 21-day campaign, a total of 18 personnel from COBRA, STF, and DRG were injured in various IED blasts. Searches at the hill yielded 450 IEDs, 818 BGL shells, 899 bundles of Cordex, detonators, and large quantities of explosives. Serious attacks were made on CRPF camps in the past using BGL shells, they added.The forces have recovered 35 weapons and a huge quantity of ammunition, including automatic, semi-automatic and country-made weapons as well, they said. The forces have destroyed four weapons-producing factories of Naxals where generators, drills, motors, and cutters were found, according to Bastar police.

CRPF DG Singh said security forces are undertaking a “relentless and ruthless” operations to ensure that Naxalism is eliminated by March 31, 2026. Singh said the anti-Naxal operation, which started in 2014, has been intensified and made more focused since 2019, with central paramilitary forces working shoulder to shoulder with the state police to stamp out Naxalism.