Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday met senior police and intelligence officials in New Delhi, who were instrumental in planning and executing the recent large-scale anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad forest region.

Describing the elimination of 27 Maoists as a “historic success”, Shah reaffirmed the Modi government’s firm resolve to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) across India by March 31, 2026.

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The meeting, held at the Ministry of Home Affairs headquarters, saw Shah extend personal congratulations to the officers involved. “I met the officers who played a crucial role in the recent anti-Naxal operations and congratulated them on the historic success of these operations. I am eager to meet the brave jawans who made this possible with their courage and will soon visit Chhattisgarh to personally honour them,” he posted on X.

Among the officers felicitated were Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Arun Dev Gautam, Additional Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations, SIB & STF) Vivekanand, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P, Superintendent of Police (Narayanpur) Prabhat Kumar, SP (Bijapur) Jitendra Yadav, and SP (Naxal-free Bastar district) Shalabh Singh.

The event was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sharma, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and Director of the Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, along with several senior officials from central and state security establishments.

The honoured officers led a joint counterinsurgency operation from May 18 to May 21 in the interior forested terrain of Boter village in Abujhmad, a remote tri-junction region of Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Kondagaon districts. On May 21, in a decisive encounter, security forces gunned down 27 Maoists, including CPI (Maoist) General Secretary and Polit Bureau member Basavaraju alias Gaganna, a top ranking figure carrying a reward of ₹1.5 crore. His death marked a major strategic breakthrough in the anti-Maoist campaign.

The operation was carried out by a multi-agency force, including DRG units from Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Kondagaon districts, supported by Chhattisgarh Police’s elite Special Task Force (STF) and intelligence units. A significant haul of arms and ammunition, including automatic rifles, grenades, and wireless sets, was recovered from the site.

Officials said meticulous intelligence planning and inter-agency coordination contributed to the success. The killing of Basavaraju and his core group of commanders is expected to create a leadership vacuum in the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, which has long directed Maoist activities across central India.

Speaking after the event, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai lauded the bravery of state forces and the Centre’s support. “This joint victory underlines the strength of Centre-state coordination and the resolve to bring peace and development to Bastar,” he said.

The government views this operation as a major milestone under its revised LWE elimination strategy. Along with tactical offensives, the strategy also emphasizes surrenders, development outreach, and public engagement in conflict affected areas. Shah’s announcement of an upcoming visit to Chhattisgarh to meet the jawans involved has boosted morale within the ranks. Officials believe that continued political backing and ground level execution will accelerate the decimation of the Maoist network in the coming months.