Saranda Battle: Security Forces Surround 65 Naxalites; Jharkhand-Odisha Border Blocked To Seal Escape Route
As many as 15,000 security personnel from Jharkhand and Odisha have surrounded 65 Naxalites in Saranda by setting up eight new camps along the borders.
Published : October 16, 2025 at 9:46 AM IST
Ranchi: In one of the biggest combing operations under government's Naxal-free Bharat mission, security forces from Jharkhand and Odisha have gheraoed 65 Naxalites, three of them carrying a bounty of Rs one crore each, in Saranda by setting up over half a dozen camps along the borders.
As per officials, 15,000 security personnel have launched this massive siege through five camps in Jharkhand and three in Odisha, after information that top Naxalite cadres are camping inside the dense Monkey Reserve Forest of Saranda. While security forces have already surrounded the Naxalites, due to strong network of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), the forces have so far failed to reach the Naxalite den. To ensure that the red rebels get no route to escape, a blockade has now been initiated on the Odisha-Jharkhand border.
IG Operations Michael Raj said the search and combing operation has been jointly launched by Jharkhand Police and Odisha Police. "Eight new security camps are being set up, three in Odisha and five in Jharkhand, to provide logistical support to forces and block the movement of the Maoists," he said.
"These camps will help us cut off their (Maoists') supplies of food, water and other necessities. All camps are being set up based on specific intelligence inputs. It will ensure that no Maoist can leave the forest through any route," the IG added.
Jharkhand Police have given Naxalites a chance to lay down arms peacefully; otherwise, strict action will follow, he warned.
Why Odisha Camps Are Crucial
Officials said that Maoists in Saranda have recently started receiving help from Odisha. Just last month, they had looted a truck full of explosives with the help of some Odisha-based underground supporters.
Among the 65 Naxalites hiding in the forests and hills of Saranda are three top leaders, each carrying Rs one crore bounty. As they are running out of explosives, one of them named Anal contacted an Odisha-based associate named George, seeking help to obtain more explosives.
George told Anal that trucks carrying explosives for Odisha's mining industry could be targeted. Acting on this information, the squad of Anal looted a truck carrying explosives on May 27, 2025, and moved the material into Saranda, officials said.
Soon, police in both states launched a coordinated search operation. Around 80 percent of the stolen explosives were recovered.
Based on further intelligence, Odisha Police arrested George, a resident of Rourkela, for aiding the Jharkhand Naxalites. During interrogation, George admitted to handling logistics for the group and also revealed that he used to track police movement and share vital information that could help the Naxalites plan major attacks.
Addressing a presser, Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani had said that investigation into George's links with Jharkhand-based Naxalites was carried out layer by layer. Police described the revelations as "extremely alarming".
Naxal Stronghold Shrinking Elsewhere
According to Jharkhand Police, Maoist activity has ended in most of the state's affected districts including Bokaro, Giridih, Ranchi, Dhanbad, Palamu, Latehar, Saraikela, Garhwa, Lohardaga, Gumla, Simdega, Chatra and Hazaribagh.
Currently, only 85 Maoists are active in the state, 45 of whom carry bounties. Of these, 65 are concentrated in Saranda. Many top commanders are hiding there, including Misir Besra, a member of the Maoist Central Committee and Police Bureau, who carries a Rs one crore bounty, officials said.
Misir Besra is believed to be operating with about 60 hardcore Naxalites, including Anal Da, Asim Mandal, and Sushant from the Jharkhand-Bihar Special Area Committee. Another group of 20-25 cadres led by Ajay Mahato is active in West Singhbhum.
Police said that their intensified operation has started showing results. So far in 2025, 32 Maoists have been killed, while several others have surrendered. This apart, many others have expressed their willingness to return to mainstream but are unable to find safe mediators.
Moving forward with the vision of Naxal-free India by March 2026, Jharkhand Police is on a mission to eradicate Naxalism from the state before the deadline. As far as the current operation in Saranda is concerned, officials believe that the newly-established camps and the joint coordination with Odisha will soon break the supply chain of Maoists and block all escape routes.
On Wednesday, Union Home Ministry shared that the number of districts most affected by Naxalism have been brought down to three from six. Now, only Bijapur, Sukma and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh are the most affected districts by Left Wing Extremism (LWE). In the category of LWE-affected districts, the number has also been further brought down to just 11 from 18.
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Naxal Influence Shrinks To 3 Districts, LWE-Hit Districts Reduced To 11: MHA
