New Delhi, Jan 5 – Indian security forces engaged in a fierce battle with Maoist rebels in the forested heartland on January 5, resulting in the deaths of at least four guerillas and one policeman, according to police reports.
The Naxalite insurgency, a decades-long conflict aimed at fighting for the rights of marginalized indigenous people in India’s resource-rich central regions, has claimed more than 10,000 lives. The government intensified its efforts in 2024 to end the armed conflict, with approximately 287 rebels killed last year, according to official statistics.
The latest clashes erupted on December 28, 2024, in the Abujhmarh district of Chhattisgarh state, a key battleground in the insurgency. “Four bodies of Maoists, who were in their battle uniform, have been recovered after an encounter with police forces,” said Police Inspector-General P. Sunderraj, adding that one police constable was also killed in the confrontation.
Government forces have arrested around 1,000 suspected Naxalites and secured the surrender of 837 others during 2024. Interior Minister Amit Shah issued a stern warning to the Maoist rebels in September, demanding their surrender or face an “all-out” assault, with the government aiming to quash the insurgency by early 2026.
The Naxalite movement, inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, began in 1967 and sought land, jobs, and a share of the region’s natural resources for local residents. The insurgency gained strength until the early 2000s when New Delhi deployed tens of thousands of security personnel to the “Red Corridor.”
In recent years, the government has significantly reduced the insurgency’s area of influence and invested millions in local infrastructure and social projects to counter the appeal of the Naxalites. As the conflict continues, both sides are engaged in a prolonged struggle for control over the region.