ITBP breaks Maoist stronghold: First to establish corridor from Chhattisgarh to Maharashtra via Abujhmarh

RAIPUR: In a major step in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has become the first force to successfully pierce through the dense and hostile terrain of Abujhmarh, establishing a direct access route from Chhattisgarh to Maharashtra.
The ITBP, known for its mountain warfare expertise, has set up five new Company Operating Bases (COBs) in the last three months in the deeply insurgency-affected Abujhmarh region. This includes the latest and most significant establishment at Nelangur in Narayanpur district, positioned at the geographical center of Abujhmarh, long considered a stronghold of Naxal activity.
An ITBP official told TOI that the rapid expansion—executed by the 41st and 45th Battalions under Sector Headquarters Bhubaneswar—marks the fastest establishment of COBs by any security force in Chhattisgarh’s core Maoist areas.
“With this, the ITBP has successfully created a new communication corridor leading directly to the Maharashtra border, which now lies just one kilometer from Nelangur,” said the officer
For decades, Abujhmarh was considered the de facto “capital” of the Naxal movement, heavily dominated by local ‘Jantana Sarkars’ (parallel governments) and divisions like West Bastar

North Bastar

andMaad. However, the recent presence of ITBP in the region has led to the surrender of over 100 Maoists, overground workers (OGWs), and sympathizers

many of whom voluntarily approached the newly established camps, the officer stated.
The new route towards Maharashtra passes through key locations like Kutul, Mohandi, and Nelangur, connecting eventually to Binagunda and Laheri in Maharashtra. It also promises to unlock the long-delayed NH-130D (Bharatmala project)

a crucial national highway stretch connecting Kondagaon (Chhattisgarh)

Allapalli (Maharashtra)

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a project stalled due to persistent security threats.
The five new COBs—Mohandi, Kodliyar, Kutul, Bedmakoti, and Padamkot

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now form a protective ring around Nelangur, effectively weakening the Maoist grip in central Abujhmarh. Notably, Kutul, once regarded as the symbolic heart of naxal control, has now been brought under security forces’ domain.
Besides, the Border Security Force (BSF) is also expanding its footprint in northern Narayanpur, establishing its own COBs to strengthen links toward Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, thereby enhancing road and communication connectivity across state lines.
The ITBP’s deployment in Chhattisgarh began in 2009 with anti-Maoist operations in Rajnandgaon, later expanding to Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts in 2015.
With greater connectivity and the potential for development projects to now reach previously inaccessible areas, this operation could represent a turning point in the decades-long battle to reclaim India’s Red Corridor.

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