Naxalites Change Guerilla Warfare Tactics After Top Leader Anal Da Gunned Down In Jharkhand Encounter
IG Operations, Dr Michael Raj said that the ultras have shifted to running camps in a bid to avoid being detected by security forces.
Published : January 28, 2026 at 11:45 AM IST
By Prashant Kumar
Ranchi: The killing of 17 Naxalites in the Saranda forests of Jharkhand has forced the ultras to change strategy by shifting to 'running camps' to avoid being detected by the security forces, a top official said.
On January 22, 2026, the 17 Naxalites were gunned down by the security forces in one of the biggest encounters in the Naxalite history in the Saranda woods. Among the slain Naxalites was Anal alias Patiram Manjhi (Anal Da), who carried a bounty of one crore rupees.
Security forces believe that the killing of the Naxalites in the encounter in the Saranda forest, once a Naxalite safe haven, has come as a major setback to the ultras.
IG (Operations), Dr Michael Raj stated that the remaining Naxalites have now shifted to running camps in the forest to avoid being detected by the security forces.
“They are setting up camps in remote areas, but these camps only last for a single night. As soon as morning breaks, the Naxalites pack their belongings and move to another location to evade the security forces. For this, they have adopted the system of running camps, in which they carry all their belongings with them and are forced to change their location every day,” the IG said.
According to official police figures, 50 to 55 Naxalites are still active in Saranda, two of whom carry a bounty of one crore rupees each.
As for the running camps, setting up a camp every day is an extremely difficult task. According to Naxal experts, the CPI (Maoist) has been employing guerrilla warfare tactics since its inception. In guerrilla warfare, running camps in challenging conditions is extremely difficult. The Naxalites do not trust anyone, neither the villagers nor their informers. According to Naxalite experts, the head of the organization decides when and where the camp will be set up. Even the cadres are unaware of their next day's location.
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