In one of the most significant crackdowns on Naxals in the country’s history, security forces carried out a massive coordinated operation along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border between April 21 and May 11, 2025, which led to the neutralisation of 31 Maoists, including 16 women, without any casualties among the security personnel.

The mission, centred in the Karreguttalu Hill (KGH) region—long regarded as a stronghold of Naxalite activity—was conducted by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Special Task Force (STF), District Reserve Guard (DRG), and state police forces.

The security forces also achieved another major breakthrough in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit districts. CoBRA commandos and Chhattisgarh Police arrested 22 notorious Naxals during an operation in Bijapur. Meanwhile, in the Sukma district, 33 Naxalites surrendered. 

Regarding the complete elimination of naxals, the govt release said, “the government of India is committed to completely eliminate Naxalism by 31st March 2026, since Naxalism is seen as the biggest obstacle in the development of remote areas and tribal villages, as it prevents education, healthcare, connectivity, banking, and postal services from reaching these villages.”

History

Originating from the 1967 Naxalbari movement in West Bengal, the Maoist insurgency spread across the “Red Corridor,” impacting states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Kerala, and more. While claiming to champion tribal and marginalised rights, the insurgents rely on armed violence, extortion, destruction of public infrastructure, and the forced recruitment of civilians, including children, undermining their stated cause.

Naxal violence, which reached its peak with 1,936 incidents in 2010, dropped to 374 in 2024, 81 per cent reduction. The total number of deaths, including civilians and security forces, also declined by 85 per cent during this period, from 1,005 in 2010 to 150 in 2024.