Operation Sankalp

• 08 May 2025

Why in News? 

Security forces killed Naxalites during an encounter in the forests of Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, as part of Operation Sankalp, a massive counter-insurgency initiative.

Key Points 

• About Operation Sankalp:  
  • Security forces launched Operation Sankalp on 21 April based on intelligence inputs about the presence of senior cadres of the Maoist battalion no. 1, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), and the Telangana state committee of Maoists. 
  • The operation targets Maoist strongholds in the Karregutta hills and surrounding forest areas along the Chhattisgarh–Telangana border. 
• Forces Involved: 
  • Around 28,000 security personnel are taking part in the operation. 
  • These include units from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), Chhattisgarh Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and its elite CoBRA unit (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action). 
• Area of Operation: 
  • The operation covers nearly 800 sq km in the forested and hilly terrain straddling Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) and Mulugu and Bhadradri-Kothagudem (Telangana), located over 450 km from Raipur. 
  • Forces have seized: 
    • Over 400 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) 
    • Around 2 tonnes of explosive materials 
    • More than 6 tonnes of rations, medicines, daily-use items, and other Maoist belongings 

District Reserve Guard (DRG)   

• The District Reserve Guard (DRG) is a specialized police unit in Chhattisgarh, established in 2008 to combat Maoist violence.   
• It consists of specially trained personnel operating in affected districts, conducting anti-Maoist operations, search and seizure, and gathering intelligence.   
• The DRG collaborates with other security forces, like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), to counter the Maoist insurgency. 

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

• The CRPF was initially established as the Crown Representatives Police in 1939 in response to political turmoil and unrest within the princely states.  
• The force was renamed the Central Reserve Police Force in 1949.  
• Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the then Home Minister, envisioned a multifaceted role for the CRPF, aligning its functions with the evolving needs of a newly independent nation.  
• COBRA:   
  • It is a special operation unit of the Central Reserve Police Force of India proficient in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare. Originally established to counter the Naxalite movement.  
  • CoBRA is deployed to address insurgent groups engaging in asymmetrical warfare.