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Nearly 2,000 security personnel launch anti-Maoist operation along Chhattisgarh-Telangana border

February 18, 2026 4 min read Internal Security GS Paper 3
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What Happened

  • Approximately 2,000 security personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Chhattisgarh Police launched Operation KGH-2 (Kilo Green Hunter-2) along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border on February 18, 2026.
  • The operation specifically targets CPI(Maoist) central committee member Devji alias Chetan and junior cadre Kesa Sodhi.
  • Security forces are deployed across areas including Nambi and Korgotalu Hills (KGH), also known as Karregutta Hills.
  • KGH-2 follows the successful three-week Operation Black Forest conducted in the same Korgotalu Hills between April-May 2025, which resulted in the killing of 31 Maoists and seizure of large caches of arms and ammunition.
  • The operation is part of the Union government's stated objective to eliminate Left Wing Extremism (LWE) from India by March 31, 2026.
  • The CRPF's jungle warfare commando unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) is a key component of the operation.

Static Topic Bridges

Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in India: Origin and Current Status

Left Wing Extremism, rooted in the 1967 Naxalbari uprising in West Bengal, has been India's longest-running internal security challenge. The CPI(Maoist), formed in 2004 by the merger of the People's War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre of India, is the primary LWE organisation.

  • LWE-affected districts have reduced from 126 (2013) to 38 (2024), with the most affected districts declining from 6 to 3 (Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur, all in Chhattisgarh).
  • Violent incidents involving LWE dropped by 81%, from a peak of 1,936 incidents in 2010 to 374 in 2024.
  • Civilian and security force deaths have fallen by 85% over the same period.
  • Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been delisted from the category of LWE-affected states.
  • The Maoist insurgency thrives in forested, underdeveloped tribal belts known as the "Red Corridor," which originally spanned from Nepal border to Tamil Nadu but has now contracted significantly.

Connection to this news: Operation KGH-2 represents the final push in what has been a decades-long counter-insurgency campaign, targeting the last remaining leadership pockets as the March 2026 deadline approaches.

SAMADHAN Strategy and Government's Multi-Pronged Approach

The Ministry of Home Affairs enunciated the SAMADHAN framework in 2017 as a comprehensive strategy to tackle LWE.

  • SAMADHAN is an acronym for: Smart leadership, Aggressive strategy, Motivation and training, Actionable intelligence, Dashboard-based key result areas, Harnessing technology, Action plan for each theatre, and No access to financing.
  • The security approach combines operations by CRPF, CoBRA, state police, and district reserve guards with intelligence-led precision strikes.
  • The development approach includes the Aspirational Districts Programme (targeting 115 districts, many in LWE areas), road connectivity under PMGSY, mobile connectivity, banking access (1,000+ bank branches and 900 ATMs opened in 30 most-affected districts), and 5,900 post offices with banking services.
  • The Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy offers financial packages of Rs 5 lakh for top cadre, Rs 2.5 lakh for middle cadre, and Rs 1.5 lakh for lower cadre members who surrender, along with skill training and livelihood support.
  • The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967, provides the legal framework for banning CPI(Maoist) as a terrorist organisation.

Connection to this news: KGH-2 exemplifies the "aggressive strategy" and "action plan for each theatre" components of SAMADHAN, with targeted operations against identified leadership in specific geographic theatres.

CRPF and CoBRA: India's Counter-Insurgency Forces

The Central Reserve Police Force is India's largest Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and the primary force deployed for anti-Maoist operations.

  • The CRPF was established in 1939 as the Crown Representative's Police and reorganised in 1949 under the CRPF Act, 1949. It operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • The CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) is the CRPF's specialised jungle warfare unit, raised in 2009 specifically for anti-Naxal operations.
  • CoBRA commandos undergo rigorous training in jungle warfare, guerrilla tactics, and survival skills, making them particularly effective in the dense forested terrains of central India.
  • The CRPF also deploys Bastariya Battalion, raised in 2018 with local tribal recruits from Bastar region, leveraging local knowledge for counter-insurgency operations.
  • Intelligence coordination involves the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), state intelligence bureaus, and technical surveillance capabilities.

Connection to this news: The deployment of CRPF and CoBRA units in Operation KGH-2 follows the proven model of intelligence-led operations in the Korgotalu Hills terrain, building on the operational familiarity and intelligence networks established during Operation Black Forest in 2025.

Key Facts & Data

  • Personnel deployed in KGH-2: Approximately 2,000 (CRPF + Chhattisgarh Police).
  • Target leaders: Devji alias Chetan (central committee member) and Kesa Sodhi.
  • Operation Black Forest (2025): 31 Maoists killed, large arms cache seized over three weeks.
  • LWE violence decline: 81% drop from peak of 1,936 incidents (2010) to 374 (2024).
  • LWE-affected districts: Reduced from 126 (2013) to 38 (2024).
  • Most affected districts: Down to 3 (all in Chhattisgarh).
  • Government deadline for LWE elimination: March 31, 2026.
  • CoBRA: Raised in 2009 as CRPF's specialised anti-Naxal jungle warfare unit.