New Delhi, May 21: In a major breakthrough, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that 27 Maoists, including top CPI-Maoist leader Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraj, were killed in an operation by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district.
Shah hailed it as a landmark achievement, noting it’s the first time in 30 years a general secretary-level Naxal leader has been neutralized.
Operation Black Forest, carried out near the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, also led to the arrest of 54 Maoists and the surrender of 84 others. Shah reiterated the Modi government's resolve to eliminate Naxalism by March 2026.
Chhattisgarh Deputy CM Arun Sao confirmed the encounter and praised the ongoing efforts to make the Bastar region Naxal-free. One soldier was injured in the operation.
