War Before Deadline: The Bloodiest Battle To End Maoism Before March 2026

When Union Home Minister Amit Shah set a deadline of March 31, 2026, to wipe out Left Wing Extremism (LWE) from India, he described it as the "final phase" of a decades-long war. But if the numbers from Bastar Range, the epicentre of the Red Corridor, are any indication, this stretch has been among the bloodiest in the history of Chhattisgarh.

Official data from 2001 to October 27, 2025, lays bare the real cost of two and a half decades of conflict, a war that has devoured both Maoists and their protectors, civilians and forests, hope and peace.

3,404 Encounters, 1,541 Maoists Killed

Since the creation of Chhattisgarh in 2001, Bastar has witnessed 3,404 armed encounters between Maoists and security forces. The year 2025 was the bloodiest on record, with 89 encounters and the killing of 224 Maoists, the highest in two decades. In 2024, in 123 encounters, 217 Maoists were killed. 2006 witnessed the maximum number of encounters, 276, in which 60 Maoists were killed.

1,315 Security Personnel Killed

From 2001 to 2025, about 1,315 police and paramilitary jawans were killed in action in the Bastar range. The deadliest years for security forces were 2010 and 2017, when back-to-back IED explosions and ambushes, including the Dantewada and Burkapal massacres, left dozens of soldiers dead. At least 171 soldiers were killed in 2010, while 200 died in 2017.

In 2025, 20 personnel died in Maoist attacks.

The Surrender Wave

The data also tells a parallel story of disillusionment and fatigue within the Maoist ranks. Between 2001 and 2025, 7,826 Maoists have surrendered, with the largest wave recorded in 2025, when 1,319 Maoist cadres, including area and zonal commanders, gave up arms under state pressure and rehabilitation promises.

One such wave was seen in 2016, too, when about 1,208 Maoists surrendered.

13,416 Maoists Arrested

Security operations have led to 13,416 arrests in 25 years—a figure that underlines both the scale and persistence of recruitment within the Maoist structure. The highest number of arrests was reported in 2018 (1,136), 2017 (1,016), and 2024 (929), marked by massive counter-insurgency pushes following major attacks.

Despite thousands behind bars, new faces continued to fill the vacuum, often young, poor, and angry, drawn from the same villages that have seen nothing but conflict.

1,817 Civilians Killed

Caught between bullets and ideology, 1,817 innocent civilians have lost their lives in Bastar's red zone since 2001. The year 2006 stands out as the darkest, when about 279 civilians were killed; 152 killed in 2007, and 122 in 2005.

Many branded as "police informers" were executed in public by Maoist squads.

Explosives And Violence

The forest floor of Bastar is littered with metal and memory.

Between 2001 and 2025, about 4,312 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other explosives were recovered from Maoist hideouts, with 2025 recording 820 recoveries, the highest so far.

During the same period, 3,327 incidents of weapon seizures were recorded, proving that the Maoists maintained a well-armed guerrilla force despite years of combing operations.

The Maoist insurgency, once driven by ideology, has mutated into a cycle of violence and revenge. Each bullet fired in Bastar's forests echoes through its villages, where fear, fatigue, and forgotten promises define everyday life.

As Home Minister Amit Shah's deadline of March 31, 2026, draws near, the question remains: will Bastar finally see peace, or will another year be added to this ledger of blood? Because the numbers tell a haunting truth: 3,404 encounters. 1,541 Maoists dead, 1,315 jawans killed in action, 1,817 civilian lives lost, 7,826 surrenders, 13,416 arrests, and 4,312 explosive seizures.

Bastar is still counting. The jungle is still burning.