India intensifies offensive against Maoist fighters

Indian security forces have launched a sweeping military operation against Maoist fighters in the mineral-rich state of Chhattisgarh, as the federal government vows to “wipe out” the decades-old armed rebellion in the country’s tribal regions.

The ongoing offensive, dubbed “Operation Zero” or “Kagar,” has seen more than 10,000 troops deployed in the Karrigatta hills forest, which spans the states of Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Officials say at least 201 Maoist rebels, also known as Naxals, have been killed in 2024 alone, including 27 fighters killed on May 21, among them a top Maoist commander, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The operation marks a significant escalation under the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which controls both the central and state governments. Over the past 16 months, security forces have reportedly killed more than 400 alleged Maoist rebels in Chhattisgarh—home to a large population of Adivasis, India’s Indigenous communities.

However, the intensifying crackdown has drawn criticism from rights activists and opposition politicians, who warn that many of those killed are innocent civilians. 

The Maoist insurgency, rooted in a 1967 peasant uprising in the town of Naxalbari in West Bengal—where the term "Naxal" originates—has long been concentrated in the so-called “Red Corridor” across central and eastern India. The movement claims to fight for the rights of the rural poor, particularly tribal communities affected by mining and deforestation.

According to official figures, more than 11,000 civilians and security personnel have died in Maoist-related violence between 2000 and 2024. Security forces have killed at least 6,160 Maoist fighters during the same period, based on data from police and Maoist sources.

By Sabina Mammadli