Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday announced a major victory for Indian security forces in their mission to eliminate Maoists in Chhattisgarh. Shah shared on social media that 31 “notorious naxalites” were killed in a high-impact operation carried out in the Karreguttalu Hills, situated on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border.
“Achieving a historic breakthrough in the resolve of #NaxalFreeBharat security forces killed 31 notorious naxalites in the Kurraguttalu Hills (KGH) on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border in the biggest ever operation against Naxalism,” Shah posted on X.
He added, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, we are determined to root out Naxalism. I once again assure the countrymen that India is sure to be Naxal-free by 31 March 2026.”
The Union Home Minister further lauded the bravery and precision of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Special Task Force (STF), and the District Reserve Guard (DRG) for completing the 21-day-long anti-Naxal operation without any casualties among the security personnel.
“The hill on which the red terror once reigned, today the tricolour is flying proudly. Kurraguttalu hill was the unified headquarters of big Naxal organisations like PLGA Battalion 1, DKSZC, TSC & CRC, where along with Naxal training, strategies and weapons were also developed, ” Shah said.
के संकल्प में एक ऐतिहासिक सफलता प्राप्त करते हुए सुरक्षा बलों ने नक्सलवाद के विरुद्ध अब तक के सबसे बड़े ऑपरेशन में छत्तीसगढ़-तेलंगाना सीमा के कुर्रगुट्टालू पहाड़ (KGH) पर 31 कुख्यात नक्सलियों को मार गिराया।
जिस पहाड़ पर कभी लाल आतंक का राज था, वहाँ आज शान से…
— (@AmitShah)
“Our security forces completed this biggest anti-Naxal operation in just 21 days and I am extremely happy that there was not a single casualty in the security forces in this operation. I congratulate our CRPF, STF and DRG soldiers who faced the Naxalites with their bravery and courage even in bad weather and inaccessible mountainous area. The whole country is proud of you,” Shah also said.
During , three personnel from the elite Greyhounds force were killed in an IED blast in Telangana. Two security force personnel lost their limbs in separate blasts, while half a dozen suffered injuries.
According to senior security officials, the operation—initiated on April 21—targeted the core Maoist stronghold in the Karreguttalu hills, dismantling one of the most fortified red zones in the region.
CRPF Director General GP Singh and Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Arun Dev Gautam jointly addressed a press briefing confirming that 31 Naxals were killed, of which 28 have been identified. The eliminated Maoists collectively carried a bounty of ₹1.72 crore on their heads, highlighting the scale and strategic value of the crackdown.
Vivekanand, Additional DG (Anti-Naxal Operations), stated that security personnel seized a significant cache of weapons, including automatic and semi-automatic firearms, and destroyed four Maoist technical units responsible for manufacturing weapons and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Security forces recovered 35 weapons, over 450 IEDs, detonators, explosive materials, and nearly 12,000 kilograms of other logistical supplies including medical equipment, electrical components, and Maoist propaganda literature. These recoveries point to the scale of operations that the insurgents were planning and underline the importance of the destroyed hideout.
Officials noted that while not all bodies were recovered due to the difficult terrain, evidence suggests that several top Maoist leaders were either killed or severely injured.
CRPF DG GP Singh reiterated the central government’s determination to wipe out Maoist violence completely by March 31, 2026.
“Whatever we had set out to do, we have achieved more than that. We are confident and happy that this is the beginning of the end and we will achieve the target of completely eliminating Naxal violence from the country by March 31, 2026,” he said.
He added that anti-Naxal efforts, intensified since 2019, have yielded clear results. The number of the most severely Naxal-affected districts has dropped from 35 in 2014 to just six in 2025. Overall, Naxal-affected districts have reduced from 126 to 18. Violent incidents fell from 1,080 in 2014 to just 374 in 2024, while the number of security personnel killed has decreased drastically—from 287 in 2014 to 19 in 2024.
Since 2014, security forces have eliminated 2,089 Maoists. In 2024 alone, 928 Naxals surrendered, and an additional 718 have laid down arms so far this year.
To secure newly liberated areas, 320 security camps and 68 night landing helipads have been established, further strengthening the presence in the former Maoist strongholds.
Seventeen First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered in connection with the operation. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) may soon join the probe to trace financial and logistic support chains behind the Naxal network.
With this operation, India inches closer to realizing the long-standing national objective of eradicating Naxalism. As operations continue across remaining red zones, the message from the government is clear: there will be no safe haven for extremists.
