Daijiworld Media Network - Amaravati

Amaravati, May 18: In a major breakthrough against left-wing extremism, Telangana Police have arrested 20 Naxalites, including senior Maoist leaders, during a high-stakes operation in Mulugu district. The arrests include one Divisional Committee Member, five Area Committee Members, and 14 other cadre members.

Authorities also seized a significant cache of weapons and materials, including three INSAS rifles, four SLR rifles, one .303 rifle, along with explosives and unaccounted cash. Officials said the operation marks a major disruption of Maoist networks operating in the region.

This crackdown closely follows the Karregutta operation in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, which also targeted Naxalite strongholds and dealt a blow to insurgent capabilities in the neighbouring state.

In a parallel development, eight Maoists — including a Divisional Committee Member and platoon members — surrendered to the Mulugu Superintendent of Police. The surrendered rebels will be assisted under the state government’s rehabilitation and reintegration policy, aimed at providing ex-combatants a path back into mainstream society.

Officials have hailed both the arrests and the surrenders as a positive step towards long-term peace and security in the region. Police say intensified surveillance and intelligence-based operations will continue to ensure further dismantling of Maoist infrastructure in Telangana.