Chhattisgarh: 57 top Maoist leaders neutralized, Naxal stronghold Abujhmad breached

As many as 121 encounters had taken place between Maoists and security forces in Bastar in 2024 in which 217 ultras were killed, the highest number of Naxal fatalities recorded in the conflict zone in the last five years.

Of the slain Maoists, 57 were top Maoist leaders, the highest number of senior leaders killed in a year in Bastar in the four-decade-long history of Leftwing extremism of the region, a senior police officer said on Tuesday.

The slain top Maoist leaders included six special zonal committee (SZC) members who were also members of different state committees of Naxals, 16 divisional committee (DVC) members, 32 area committee members, one deputy commander of a company and two platoon commanders, the data released by the Bastar police on Tuesday said.

While 925 Naxals were arrested, 792 ultras surrendered in 2024 in Bastar.

Similarly, 284 weapons were seized and 311 number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered in the region in the outgoing year.

The data indicated that the counterinsurgency campaign launched in 2024 had been most successful in the last five years.

“Improved resources including weaponry and gadgets, improved operational tactics and intelligence networks were the key reasons for the success achieved in the counterinsurgency campaign in 2024”, Bastar inspector general of police P Sunderraj told this newspaper on Tuesday.

The effective operational tactics had led to neutralization of the highest number (57) of top Maoist leaders in Bastar in 2024, he said.

The slain top Maoist leaders carried a cumulative bounty of Rs 4.62 crores.

“The operational reach had been very deep in the Maoist stronghold in Bastar”, he added.

Security forces have opened 28 forward operating bases (FOBs) in the core areas of Maoists in south Bastar during the period, facilitating smooth logistic supply for the counterinsurgency operations.

This helped security forces breach the Naxal stronghold Abujhmad, a 4,000 sq km un-surveyed forested area extending from south Bastar in Chhattisgarh to Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, in 2024.

More than 75 Maoists were killed in four major anti-Naxal operations in Abujhmad, loosely translated into English as unknown territory, in 2024.

“Abujhmad is no longer an unknown territory as the security forces have reached the length and breadth of the region now”, Mr Sunderraj said.