Security forces advance slowly, demining IEDs to clear 800 sq km of Maoist strongholds.
Raipur: In the biggest ever counterinsurgency operation, around 24,000 jawans have dug in their heels cordoning off the Karregutta hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border for the past eight days amid searing heat to clear 800 sq km area of the Maoists.
The security personnel have been advancing slowly in the forested and hilly terrain, heavily mined with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), scanning the length and breadth of the area for Maoist hideouts and Naxal arms dumps.
“A number of Maoist hideouts, including a large natural cave, bunkers and arms dumps have been found in Karregutta hills so far. The process of documenting all these findings is going on”, a senior police officer who is monitoring the operation told this newspaper on Monday, unwilling to be quoted.
Half of the Karregutta hills falls in the south-west part of Bijapur district in south Bastar of Chhattisgarh and the other half falls in Telangana.
“More than 24,000 personnel of state and Central forces are involved directly and indirectly in the interstate operation. Counterinsurgency forces in Chhattisgarh and Telangana have taken part in it”, the police officer said.
According to him, several gunbattles have taken place between Maoists and security forces in the past one week. The encounters and search operations are still underway.
But only three bodies (of female Naxals), killed in an encounter on April 24, have been recovered so far. Various reliable sources however claim that Naxals have suffered heavy casualties in the ongoing operation.
Several Naxals have been found fleeing while many others are reported to be still holed up guarding their areas, he added.
“There are chances that some top Maoist leaders are still holed up in some hideouts”, the police officer said.
Security forces have been advancing slowly in the hills by demining the IEDs, and pressure bombs, planted by the Maoists.
“It is a tough terrain with a lot of caves and hideouts. That is the reason for the prolonged operations”, he explained.
According to him, the objective of the operation is to “clear the area from the hold of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), Telangana State Committee (TSC), People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion number one of Maoists, and other Naxal formations who have been using the area as safe hideout to carry out Leftwing extremism”.
The operation will continue till the 800 sq km area, the Maoists’ core region, is cleared of Naxals, he added.
Three security personnel, one each from the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), special task force (STF) and district reserve guard (DRG) have so far been injured in IED blasts in separate incidents in the operation.
At least half-a-dozen jawans have suffered from dehydration in the operation so far. They have been admitted to different hospitals for treatment, sources said.
The day temperature hovered around 41 degrees in the area.
Union home minister Amit Shah has set a deadline of March 31, 2026 to end Maoism in the country.
Drones have been deployed for surveillance on movements of Maoists, sources said.
