Special Correspondent
Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh): In one of the most significant blows to the Naxal insurgency in recent years, security forces have neutralized 26 Naxalites, including two senior commanders, in an intense encounter that began early Wednesday morning in the dense Abujhmad forest region of Narayanpur district. The operation was carried out jointly by the District Reserve Guard (DRG) units from Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Kondagaon.
The encounter is part of a larger strategic push by the Chhattisgarh government and central security agencies to dismantle the core Naxal leadership operating from the Abujhmad region — long considered an impenetrable rebel stronghold due to its remote, forested terrain and lack of administrative access.
Sources in the police department confirmed that the operation was launched following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of senior Naxalite leadership, including Basava Raju, a Politburo member and general secretary of the banned CPI (Maoist), at a hideout near Botter village in Abujhmad. Acting on this input, the DRG swiftly mobilized troops from four Naxal-affected districts.
Heavy gunfire erupted as forces closed in on the area, leading to a fierce exchange that continued for several hours. Among the 26 dead Naxals are believed to be two key military commanders directly involved in planning and executing attacks on state forces in the Bastar division. Security forces also recovered a large cache of arms, ammunition, and propaganda material from the site.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio, congratulated the DRG and other participating forces on the successful operation. “This is a major success in our war against Naxalism. I salute the bravery of our jawans. Unfortunately, we also lost one of our own and another is injured. The search operation is still ongoing,” Sharma stated in Raipur.
The Abujhmad region, once considered a ‘liberated zone’ by Naxals, has been the focus of increased counterinsurgency action. Over the past few years, state and central agencies have intensified operations here, with “Mission Abujhmad” aiming to establish civil infrastructure and disrupt rebel networks.
Officials suggest that the current operation may have significantly dented the operational command of the Maoists in central India, especially if Basava Raju’s death is confirmed. For now, security forces are continuing combing operations in the forest to locate any remaining insurgents and prevent regrouping.
This marks the second major success for security forces in 2025, following earlier encounters in Bijapur and Sukma that led to the neutralization of several mid-level cadres.
As the battle for reclaiming Abujhmad intensifies, the Chhattisgarh government has reiterated its twin strategy: development and decisive security action — sending a strong message to left-wing extremists that their days of impunity are numbered.
[2:14 pm, 21/5/2025] Harshu:
