Raipur: Security forces have killed seven Maoists, including central committee member Sudhakar and senior commander Bhaskar, during an ongoing anti-Maoist operation in the Indravati National Park area of Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh. The Bastar police confirmed the development.

Sudhakar, regarded as the Maoist outfit’s ideological head, was shot dead on Thursday, while Bhaskar, a Telangana State Committee member, was neutralised a day later. The encounter zone also saw the deaths of five other cadres, including two women, whose identities are being verified by police.

The Times of India reports that Bastar range IG P Sundarraj claimed that the operation has also led to the seizure of a large cache of arms and ammunition, including two AK-47 rifles. The mission, which unfolded over three consecutive days from June 5 to 7, is considered one of the most successful counter-insurgency offensives in the region in recent times.

The ongoing combing and area domination operations aim to flush out remaining insurgents from the dense jungle terrain. Police sources revealed that Bandi Prakash, the press in-charge of the Telangana State Committee, had also been spotted in the area, indicating the strategic importance of the mission.

Sundarraj noted that the troops faced extreme challenges, including snake bites, bee stings and severe dehydration due to the rugged forest environment. However, all injured personnel are in stable condition and receiving treatment.

The operation began after intelligence inputs pointed to the presence of top Maoist leaders in the region. Personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF) and CRPF’s CoBRA unit initiated the assault on Wednesday night, trekking on foot to maintain the element of surprise. Intense firefights ensued as Maoist cadres attempted to flee.

Sudhakar, originally from Andhra Pradesh, had been part of the CPI (Maoist) for nearly 40 years and was heading its Revolutionary Political School. His death marks the third high-profile Maoist leader neutralised in Bastar this year, following the killings of Jai Ram alias Chalpathy in January and CPI (Maoist) general secretary Basavaraju in May.

Security sources believe this operation has thwarted a major Maoist regrouping attempt in the aftermath of Basavaraju’s death.