Hyderabad: In a major breakthrough for security forces, top Naxal commander Madvi Hidma was reportedly killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitharamaraju district on Tuesday morning. The Maoist leader was gunned down near the tri-junction of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana, reported NDTV, citing sources.
Apart from Hidma, five other Naxals were killed by the security forces in the encounter. Alluri Sitaramaraju district superintendent of police (SP) Amit Bardar said the encounter was carried out between 6.30 am and 7 am in the forested area of Maredumilli mandal.
"Yes, six Maoists were killed in an encounter in Alluri district today," Bardar told PTI. According to the SP, it was a joint operation carried out by various wings of the police department.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari, lauded Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for adopting anti-Naxal strategy in the affected regions.
"Under PM Narendra Modi Ji’s (@narendramodi ) leadership & HM Amit Shah Ji’s (@AmitShah ) execution, India’s anti-Naxal strategy has become sharper, more coordinated, and intelligence-driven," Bhandari said in an X post.
"Notorious Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, mastermind of 26+ brutal attacks on our security forces and civilians, has been eliminated in a fierce encounter in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitharamaraju district — right at the AP–Chhattisgarh–Telangana tri-junction, a region long exploited as a Maoist safe zone. This is a major strategic victory!" he added.
Hidma reportedly led around 26 armed attacks against security forces and civilians in the past one decade and a half. He is also believed to be the key mastermind behind the 2010 Dantewada attack in which 76 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed in action.
He also suspected to have planned the 2013 Jhiram Ghati attack. At least 27 people, including senior Congress leaders were killed in the attack. He was also reportedly behind the 2021 Sukma-Bijapur ambush. At least 22 security personnel were attained martyrdom in ambush.
Last year in August, Shah, during his three-day visit to Raipur in Chhattisgarh, had said that the Narendra Modi government would eliminate the issue of naxalism from the entire by March 2026.
As part of anti-Naxal operations in April this year, security forces took control of Karegutta Hill.
Earlier this month, Superintendent of Police (SP), Narayanpur Robinsons Guria said that about 80 per cent of Naxalites operating in the Abujhmarh region of Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district have surrendered to security forces.
