6 days and counting, 7,000 security personnel: Taking on a Maoist battalion in hills of Bijapur

“The location was earlier used for secret meetings, but was never a place where the Battalion stayed. But the continuous operations have squeezed them to the hills, with nowhere else to go,” said a top official involved in the operation.

Battalion 1, which the security forces could be up against, has been held responsible for executing major encounters that claimed the lives of at least 155 jawans, including 76 CRPF personnel who were killed on April 6, 2010, in Tadmetla, Sukma.

Officials told The Indian Express that the operation involves close to 7,000 security personnel belonging to the 210th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force’s elite CoBRA unit, the special task force (STF) of the Chhattisgarh Police, the District Reserve Guard (DRG), and some regular CRPF units.

Security forces believe the Battalion 1 is guarding top Maoist leaders such as Central Committee (CC) members Pulluri Prasad Rao alias Chandranna and Sujata; PLGA chief Barse Deva; Madvi Hidma, the commander-in-chief for for military ops in South Bastar; Sannu, a Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee member; and Damodar from the Telangana State Committee.

So far, the bodies of three Maoists have been found during the operation, but IGP, Bastar range, Sundarraj P said the insurgents have suffered “heavy casualties in the last couple of days”.

“We are yet to ascertain the exact number of Naxals injured or dead in the ongoing operations. But we suspect around eight more have been killed so far,” one official said.

For security officials, the operation is not without its challenges, with at least two jawans suffering minor injuries in IED blasts, Sundarraj said.

According to another official, the terrain, coupled with factors such as a thick forest cover, could pose a challenge to security forces. The steep hill is also believed to offer a significant vantage point to the Maoists because they can spot the oncoming forces.

Battalion 1 is in a dominant position because they are at the top of the hill, former DGP R K Vij told The Indian Express. “They must have planted IEDs on the perimeter and have snipers as well. Therefore, the forces have to be tactful in their approach,” he said.

The scorching heat appears to be another significant challenge, with an official confirming that dehydration is something they have to grapple with.

Another official said that the abundant fresh water springs and caves on the hills could help shelter the Maoists. But the official also said that there was an advantage for the forces: The lack of human habitation on the hills. “There is no chance of civilians getting hurt. This is a big advantage the forces have,” this official said.

So far, senior officials have officially refused to divulge details, with Additional Director General (Naxal operations) Vivekanand Sinha only saying that all jawans are safe and that operations are ongoing.

But another official engaged in the operations called it a “decisive” one, and a big step in the plan to eradicate Left Wing Extremism by March 2026.

Meanwhile, an umbrella group of several tribal rights organisations has written to President Droupadi Murmu seeking a ceasefire and a halt of the operations, claiming that the lives of adivasis in the areas of Bastar (Chhattisgarh), Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), West Singhbhum (Jharkhand), and adjoining areas “are under unprecedented and immediate threat”.

The operation also comes at a time when the Maoists have made overtures for a ceasefire. Maoist leader Rupesh alias Satish alias Kopa, who was involved in the attack on Chandrababu Naidu in 2003, gave a video interview to a YouTube channel, Bastar Talkies, appealing for a ceasefire. Security officials, however, believe this could be an attempt by the Maoists to regroup.