Drones, satellites aid search as forces comb Karreguttalu for top Maoist commanders
Hyderabad/Warangal: Using satellite images and drones designed with cutting-edge technology to send live video, around 5,000 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and state Greyhounds teams have surrounded Karregutta, a hillock locality on the Telangana and Chhattisgarh border, where they suspect top Maoist leader Hidma to be hiding.
According to senior police officials, the operation was started from Bijapur of Chhattisgarh and continued upto Karreguda of Mulugu district border where thousands of forces entered into Karregutta locality, intensifying the combing. However, there were no casualties and an exchange of fire took place at the place. The search operation is on by using drones and satellite images.
"It was purely CRPF personnel which started the operation from Chhattisgarh based on their specific tip-off and reached Karregutta, a part of it comes under Mulugu district," officials said.
The forested terrain of Karreguttalu spreads across Telangana’s Wazeedu mandal of Mulugu district and Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, making it a strategic hotspot long considered a Maoist stronghold.
The operation, which began on Monday, is said to involve over 5,000 security personnel, including units from Telangana's Greyhounds, Chhattisgarh's Bastar Fighters, Maharashtra's C-60 commandos and Central Armed Police Forces. The security personnel are being supplied food and other material by using drones, as the Karregutta hill is a dense forest, where it is difficult to walk.
High-tech drones and satellite imagery were deployed at the initial stages of the operation, revealing shocking visuals intelligence now estimates that around 3,000 Maoists may be hiding in the area, with booby traps, IEDs and pressure-cooker bombs planted across the forested hills.
Security forces believe that the most-wanted Maoist leader, Hidma, is hiding in a bunker within Karreguttalu. The Company-1 of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), led by Hidma along with other top Maoist leaders Damdodar and Azad, has fortified the area. Forces have been inching forward with extreme caution suspecting the presence of landmines and other traps.
The situation has created a high-tension atmosphere in surrounding villages, including Penugolu, Kongala, Arunchalapuram, and Bollaram, as well as border villages like Malappuram, Lakshmipuram, Mutharam, and Sitarampuram.
Villagers have been urged to avoid these zones as the forested Karreguttalu hills, spanning approximately 280 sq. km remain the focal point of this high-stakes operation.
The Maoists, in an unusual move, issued open warnings asking security forces to stay away from the Dandakaranya region, sparking debates among officials about whether such announcements are part of a psychological strategy to mislead the forces.
In an effort to cut off supplies, the transportation of food, medicines and essentials into Karreguttalu from Venkatapuram has been halted. The intent is to force Maoist teams to surface due to exhaustion and lack of resources, making them vulnerable to capture.
Authorities suggest the operation could last up to two to three days, depending on the resistance faced. Security agencies remain vigilant against potential counterattacks from PLGA units which are believed to be preparing for armed confrontation.
As speculation grows about whether Hidma is indeed hiding within these forests or the Maoists are deploying diversion tactics, officials remain determined. “If Hidma is here, it will cost the Maoists dearly,” said a senior police officer, underlining the strategic significance of this mission, the largest counter-insurgency operation currently underway in the country.
