27 Maoists, including top leader Nambala Keshav Rao (alias Basavaraju), were killed in an anti-Naxal operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh.
Basavaraju was the general secretary of the banned CPI (Maoist) and considered the “backbone” of the Naxal movement.
The encounter happened in the Abhujmad area during a 50-hour search operation targeting high-ranking Maoist leaders.
This is the first time a general secretary-ranked Maoist leader has been killed in India’s fight against Naxalism.
The Central Committee is the CPI (Maoist)'s highest decision-making body; Basavaraju was its third top member killed this year.
The operation covered the border region of Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada districts.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the forces and reiterated the Centre’s aim to eliminate Naxalism by March 31, 2026.
After “Operation Black Forest,” 54 Naxalites have been arrested and 84 have surrendered across Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.
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