Security forces recaptured a hill with an altitude of 5,000 feet that was under Maoist control along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. They drove out the extremists after nine days of intense anti-Naxal operations, official sources said.

The rugged Karregutta hill, located in a dense forest, served as a den for dreaded Naxal leaders like Hidma, Deva, Damodar, Azad, and Sujata. Security forces completely took over the hill and hoisted the tricolour atop it.

The operation marked one of the biggest counter-insurgency actions launched in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region. Around 24,000 security personnel from various units participated, including the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), all units of the state police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the elite Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA).

Security forces completed the climb over nine days to take control of this strategic high point, which stands at nearly 5,000 feet, sources said on Thursday.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai closely monitored the operation and gave instructions wherever required, they said.

Director General of the CRPF, GP Singh, visited the Karregutta site on Wednesday to oversee the progress of the ongoing operation.

The operation began on April 21, backed by helicopters and drones, due to the inaccessible terrain and dense forests of Karregutta and Durgamgutta hills. These hills cover around 800 sq km on both sides of the interstate border in the districts of Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) and Mulugu (Telangana).

The area, present amid a range of hills and surrounded by dense forests 450 km away from Raipur, served as a safe hideout for Maoists' PLGA (People's Liberation Guerrilla Army) battalion No. 1, their strongest military formation.

Sources said helicopters air-dropped supplies for the security forces. They confirmed that this is India's largest anti-Naxal operation, covering a stretch of dense forest and hills.

The operation is part of the government's larger campaign against the Naxals. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a deadline of March 31, 2026, to completely eliminate the Naxal threat in the country.

The Chhattisgarh government has taken a firm stance and will not hold peace talks with the Naxals. "A clear message has been sent - those who surrender will be rehabilitated under the government's surrender policy, but those who choose the path of violence will be dealt with strictly," an officer said.

Inputs suggested that more than 500 Naxalites from the PLGA battalion No. 1, Telangana State Committee (TSC), and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), led by top leaders like Hidma, Barse Deva, and Damodar, gathered for a meeting and were holed up in the area.

"The operation aimed at clearing the area from the hold of DKSZC, TSC, PLGA battalion No. 1, and Central Regional Committee (CRC) company, which had been using the territory as a safe hideout to execute their nefarious plans against the innocent native population and security forces," the official said.

Anti-Naxal operations intensified in Chhattisgarh after the BJP came to power in 2023, following five years of Congress rule, an official said.

Security forces have gunned down more than 350 Naxalites in a string of encounters, mostly centred in the Bastar region, since January 2024.

A total of 18 Naxalites, including 11 women, were killed in twin encounters in the Bastar region on March 29.

So far this year, 144 Naxalites have been gunned down in separate encounters across the state. Of these, 128 were eliminated in the Bastar division, which includes seven districts.

About 300 Naxals have also surrendered this year. All surrendered Naxalites received assistance of Rs 50,000 each and were rehabilitated according to the government's policy.

In 2024, a total of 792 Naxalites surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, which comprises seven districts.