Maoist Encounter in Sukma District Claims Lives of CRPF Commando and Rebel

Maoist Anti-Insurgency Operation in Sukma

In Sukma district, Chhattisgarh, a recent anti-Maoist operation resulted in the deaths of a Cobra commando from the CRPF and a Maoist rebel. Officials reported that the operation is ongoing in the village of Tumrel. The 210th Battalion of the CRPF Cobra unit is leading the mission, which also includes personnel from the Chhattisgarh police's DRG and STF. There are unconfirmed reports of another Cobra commando sustaining injuries during the operation.

Air Support Deployed for Casualty Evacuation

To assist with the evacuation of the injured, a helicopter from the Indian Air Force has been dispatched. The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (Cobra) is a specialized jungle warfare unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), primarily engaged in operations in states affected by left-wing extremism.

Significant Success Against Maoism

Among those killed in this operation was Basavaraju, the general secretary of the banned CPI (Maoist), who was one of the 26 Maoists eliminated. This marks one of the most significant successes in anti-Maoist operations in recent years. Nearly 70 years old, Basavaraju was one of India's most wanted Maoist leaders, with a bounty of ₹1.5 crore on his head. He hailed from the village of Jianapeta in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and held a B.Tech degree from the Regional Engineering College (REC) in Warangal.