Security forces struggle to tackle Naxals on Maha-C’garh border

Although the government is bullish about meeting it’s March 31, 2026, deadline for ending Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in the country, security forces and the police are facing logistical challenges in penetrating certain Naxal-dominated pockets in the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border area.

Officials have particularly flagged the Abujhmad region, which is spread across three districts in Chhattisgarh — Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada — and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra.

Officials raised this concern during a high-level Security Strategies meeting last week, where Home Minister Amit Shah brainstormed with top intelligence officials, police chiefs and paramilitary heads on the matter, asking them to find ways to dominate the region.

Chhattisgarh is considered as the last bastion of Naxal violence by the government, which is keen to end their influence from the state completely by the designated deadline.

However, certain pockets near the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border are turning out to be major impediments for the security forces in meeting the March 2026 deadline.

According to sources privy to developments, Shah raised some pointed queries and directed officials to find ways to penetrate the region and tackle Naxals who are hiding there.

Earlier in May this year, during Operation Black Forest, the CRPF and the Chhattisgarh Police personnel had jointly managed to destroy a major base of Naxals on the KG Hills, which was once considered an impregnable bastion of ultras near the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. As many as 27 ultras were neutralised during this operation.

However, it had taken the administration months of recce and preparation, before the operation could be launched and implemented.

Despite the success of Operation Black Forest and significant decline in their number, sources said several Naxals remained holed up in the deep jungles of Abujhmad region.

Owing to the inhospitable terrain, security personnel are finding it difficult to reach the bases of Naxals. Therefore, they deliberated on ways to tackle this situation during the meeting, added the sources.