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Mission Sankalp is a large-scale counter-insurgency operation launched jointly by security forces of Chhattisgarh Police, Telangana Police, CRPF, and the elite CoBRA unit. The operation targets the dense forested Karregutta hills along the Chhattisgarh–Telangana border, focusing on dismantling Maoist strongholds and disrupting their operational capabilities.

Key Objectives and Area of Operation

• Primary Aim: Neutralize senior Maoist leaders, especially targeting Battalion 1 of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the CPI-Maoist.
• Geographical Focus: Forested, hilly terrain covering parts of Bijapur district (Chhattisgarh) and Mulugu district (Telangana).
• Goals: Destroy Maoist hideouts, bunkers, arms caches, and logistics networks to cripple the insurgency infrastructure.

Forces Involved and Operational Scale

• Personnel: Over 28,000 personnel including District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), CRPF, CoBRA, and support from the Indian Air Force.
• Tactics: Precision strikes guided by aerial surveillance and intelligence inputs in challenging forest terrain.
• Scope: The operation spans approximately 800 square kilometres across the inter-state border area.

Achievements and Impact

• Casualties and Encounters: Since its launch on April 21, around 35 encounters have taken place. At least 26 Maoists, including several senior cadres and three women cadres with bounties of ?8 lakh each, have been killed. Approximately 168 Maoists have been eliminated across Chhattisgarh in 2025, with 151 in the Bastar region.
• Seizures: Security forces have recovered over 2 tonnes of explosives, 400+ improvised explosive devices (IEDs), around 40 firearms, and more than 6 tonnes of ration, medicines, and daily essentials. Hundreds of Maoist hideouts and bunkers have been destroyed.
• Casualties Among Security Forces: Six personnel, including a CoBRA officer, were injured in IED blasts but are now stable.
• Strategic Outcome: The operation has dealt a severe blow to the Maoist command structure, disrupted logistics, and restored state authority in previously inaccessible tribal areas.

Strategic Importance

• Inter-State Cooperation: Mission Sankalp marks one of the largest coordinated anti-Naxal operations in recent years, reflecting enhanced synergy between central and state security forces.
• National Security: It aligns with the Centre’s zero-tolerance policy towards Left Wing Extremism, aiming to weaken the Maoists’ influence and support the restoration of governance and development in affected tribal regions.
• Long-Term Goals: By neutralizing the insurgency's core military units, the operation seeks to create conditions for improved infrastructure, welfare delivery, and civilian confidence in law enforcement.