Anti-insurgency ops to ‘flush out’ Naxal leadership from Karegutta hills on Chhattisgarh-Telangana border called off

However, the Central Reserve Police Force and the state police are scheduled to address the media Tuesday morning.

According to officials, one of the major goals of the operation is to decimate the armed wing, to which six major attacks in Sukma and Bijapur – including the attack in January last year when three jawans were shot dead in Tekalguda, Sukma — are attributed.

Officials saw this operation as a major breakthrough in the March 2026 deadline to end Naxalism, set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Karregutta hills on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. (Express Photo)

Considered a challenging mission given that it meant scaling a 700 metre thickly forested hill, the operations saw three jawans from the elite Greyhounds force, a specialised force in anti-Naxal operations, lose their lives in an IED blasts while 6-7 more jawans from CRPF, District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) have suffered minor injuries.

There is confirmation of at least four Maoists being killed, although government sources put this figure at over two dozen — including a senior Maoist leader. Around 2 tonnes of explosive materials and 400 Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) apart from 40 weapons have been found, officials said.

According to officials, at least 129 Maoists have been gunned down in the Bastar region this year, while 146 Maoists have been killed in Chhattisgarh overall. A total of 219 Maoists were killed last year in the state, including 217 in Bastar.