Recent clashes between Maoist rebels and security forces in Chhattisgarh have escalated, underscoring the region’s continuous fight against left-wing extremism. Three Maoists were slain in a battle on the border between the districts of Dantewada and Bijapur on March 25, 2025.
Sudhir alias Murli, a prominent member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee with a ₹25 lakh bounty on his head, was one of the dead. In the state’s anti-Maoist operations, which have killed 116 Maoists since the year began, this tragedy represents a major turning point.
Around eight in the morning, security forces, responding to intelligence reports on the presence of Maoists, engaged armed rebels in a gunfight. Numerous firearms and explosives were recovered from the location as a result of the operation. This encounter is a component of a larger plan by Chhattisgarh authorities to eradicate Maoist influence in the state by March 2026, especially in regions that have been designated as Maoist strongholds.
The strong approach employed by security forces against left-wing insurgency was further highlighted by another major operation earlier in March that claimed the lives of 30 Maoists, many of whom were women. These heightened security measures may also be connected to the recent spike in encounters that precede Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled March 30 visit to Chhattisgarh.
Overall, security forces are stepping up operations and making significant progress in breaking up these extremist networks, marking a pivotal moment in Chhattisgarh’s fight against Maoist insurgency.
