Operation Green Hunt

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Indian anti-Naxalite campaign since 2009

title: "Operation Green Hunt" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2009-in-india", "aerial-operations-and-battles-involving-india", "communist-party-of-india-(maoist)", "conflicts-in-2009", "conflicts-in-2010", "conflicts-in-2011", "conflicts-in-2012", "conflicts-in-2013", "conflicts-in-2014", "counterinsurgency-operations", "manmohan-singh-administration", "naxalite–maoist-insurgency", "operations-involving-special-forces-of-india", "anti-communist-terrorism"] description: "Indian anti-Naxalite campaign since 2009" topic_path: "geography/india" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Green_Hunt" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Indian anti-Naxalite campaign since 2009 ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox military conflict"]

FieldValue
conflictOperation Green Hunt
partofNaxalite–Maoist insurgency
dateSeptember 2009 – present
()
placeRed Corridor
statusOngoing
combatant1India Government of India
{{bulleted list
combatant2South Asian Communist Banner.svg Communist Party of India (Maoist)
{{bulleted list
commander1{{plainlist
titlestylebackground-color:transparent; text-align:left;
titleFormer
{{flagdecoIndia
{{flagdecoIndia
{{flagdecoIndia
{{flagdecoIndia
{{flagdecoIndia
{{flagdecoIndia
{{flagdecoIndia
{{flagdecoIndia
{{flagdecoIndia
commander2{{plainlist
strength1{{Plainlist
* Paramilitary forces:
80,000{{cite web		url
* Central Reserve Police Force:
7,000 (April 2010)<ref name		"greenhunt start"/
* State Armed Police Forces:
200,000 (September 2013)<ref name		"BS-113092700488"/
* Special Operation Group:
Unknown<ref name		"greenhunt start"
* Naga Regiment:
2,000 (August 2014)<ref name		"ET–40383919"/
* Indian Air Force:
Mi-17 and Mi-17V-5 helicopters<ref name		"TH-4763722"/ + 12 searcher tactical drones
strength2{{Plainlist
* People's Liberation Guerrilla Army:
11,500 (August 2013)<ref name		"AZ13"/
8,000 – 9,000 (September 2013)
* People's Militia:
38,000 (August 2013)<ref name		"AZ13"
casualties11,435 killed
casualties2According to India:
2,266 killed
9,714 surrendered
10,181 arrested
casualties32,319 civilians killed
::

| conflict = Operation Green Hunt | partof = Naxalite–Maoist insurgency | image = | caption = | date = September 2009 – present () | place = Red Corridor | coordinates = | map_type = | latitude = | longitude = | map_size = | map_caption = | map_label = | territory = | result = | status = Ongoing | combatant1 = India Government of India {{bulleted list |Paramilitary forces |Flag of Central Reserve Police Forces.png Central Reserve Police Force |State Armed Police Forces |Flag of Indian Armed Forces.svg Indian Armed Forces |Ministry of Home Affairs |Ministry of External Affairs}} | combatant2 = South Asian Communist Banner.svg Communist Party of India (Maoist) {{bulleted list |People s liberation guerrilla army naxals flag by santiagosoto-d8t7wuz-800x445.jpg People's Liberation Guerrilla Army}} | combatant3 = | commander1 = {{plainlist|

Operation Green Hunt is the name used by the Indian media to describe the "all-out offensive by paramilitary forces and the states forces" against the Naxalites.

The term was coined by the Chhattisgarh police officials to describe one successful drive against the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the state. It was erroneously used by the media to describe the wider anti-Naxalite operations; the government of India does not use the term "Operation Green Hunt" to describe its anti-Naxalite offensive.{{cite news | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/There-is-no-Operation-Green-Hunt-Chidambaram/articleshow/5770130.cms | title = There is no 'Operation Green Hunt': Chidambaram | work = The Times of India | date = 2010-04-07 | access-date = 2010-04-08

Planning and implementation

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/IAF_Mi_17_V5_at_Aero_India_2013.JPG" caption="A fleet of Mi-17 V5 has been deployed against the Maoists by the Indian Air Force."] ::

In October 2009, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) announced that it was in the final stages of planning the offensive and had received approval from the Union-led government. The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) would take the lead in the operations against Maoist insurgents. But in September 2009, the media had already reported a "massive three day joint operation" by the CoBRA and Chhattisgarh police against the Maoists in Dantewada.

In November 2009, the first phase of the operation began in Gadchiroli district. As many as 18 companies of the central paramilitary forces were moved into the area in anticipation of the operation.

In April 2010, Mark Sofer had a conversation with Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and M. K. Narayanan on the subject of the "Maoist extremism" and West Bengal's internal security, and offered assistance by Israel in the state's battle against the Maoists.

In 2009, the government of India had decided to move 80,000 central paramilitary personnel to wage offensive against the Maoists, strengthened by a fleet of 10 armed helicopters from the Indian Air Force. On 3 January 2013, the government of India said it would deploy 10,000 more central paramilitary personnel in Bastar, Odisha and some parts of Jharkhand. By May 2013, about 84,000 troops from the CRPF had been stationed in the Red corridor.

Apart from the paramilitary personnel, the SAPF personnel deployed in operations against the Maoists are estimated to number around 200,000. In his analysis in March 2014, Gautam Navlakha has claimed that 286,200 CRPF personnel along with 100,000 personnel from other central paramilitary forces and the SAPF are now engaged in the offensive against Maoist insurgents in 10 states of India. On 8 June 2014, the Minister of Home Affairs officially approved the deployment of another 10,000 troops from the paramilitary forces to fight against the Maoists in Chhattisgarh.

In May 2013, the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered an additional 10,000 paramilitary personnel to move "towards a fight to finish war against Maoists in the Red Zone."

The Indian Army has also been stationed in the Red corridor; however, the Army claims that it is present there to train the paramilitary personnel to fight against the Maoists and denies its direct role in the offensive operations. The Chief of the Army Staff and the 7 army commanders in mid-2011 had assessed that, if required, about 60,000-65,000 troops from the Indian Army would need to be induced in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal to battle the Naxalites. On 30 May 2013, the Indian Air Force's Air Chief Marshal declared that apart from the currently operating MI-17 helicopters, the Indian Air Force is inducing a fleet of MI-17V5 helicopters to "provide full support to anti-Naxal operations."

In August 2014, the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that it is "sending" 2,000 personnel from the Naga Battalions of the Nagaland's Indian Reserve Battalions (IRB) in Chhattisgarh's Bastar to attack the Maoists, which according to The Economic Times, would make Bastar "the most militarised zone in India." The Naga Battalion personnel are being sent to fight the Maoists for a second time, having battled the Maoists once earlier in West Bengal.

The Indian armed forces' personnel use satellite phones and they have access to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Security forces have been using UAVs in anti-Maoist operations for quite some time in Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Presently, the UAVs are being provided by the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) and Indian Air Force, but they have not been able to yield desired results for the armed forces. Hence, to further advance the offensive, the Defence Research and Development Organisation has taken an initiative to specially develop UAVs with "lower frequency radars" for the armed forces to "track down" the Maoists. The NTRO has imported 12 drones from Israel for aerial surveillance of Naxalites' activities in the forest region on Andhra Pradesh–Orissa–Chhattisgarh border.

References

References

  1. Sobhan, Shakeel. (14 February 2025). "India: 60 Years of Maoist insurgency and its human cost".
  2. (1 April 2010). "Operation Greenhunt starts in Orissa". [[The Indian Express]].
  3. Kumar, Kamal. (24 August 2013). "Analysis: India's Maoist challenge". [[Al Jazeera English.
  4. "Datasheet-terrorist-attack-surrender".
  5. "Datasheet-terrorist-attack-surrender".
  6. Sethi, Aman. (6 February 2013). "Green Hunt: the anatomy of an operation". The Hindu.
  7. (2009-10-09). "'Centre's Anti-Naxal Plan to be Implemented Soon'". M/s Outlook Publishing (India) Private Limited.
  8. Ali, Mazhar. (2009-11-02). "First phase of Operation Green Hunt begins". [[The Times of India]].
  9. (12 April 2010). "Israel to help West Bengal tackle Maoists". Rediff.
  10. (29 December 2009). "10 IAF choppers for rebel combat". [[ABP Group]].
  11. "Incidents and Statements involving CPI-Maoist: 2013". SATP.
  12. (30 May 2013). "CRPF will launch fresh operations against Naxals in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand". [[The New Indian Express]].
  13. (27 September 2013). "Reds in retreat". [[Business Standard]].
  14. Navlakha, Gautam. (30 March 2014). "Ambush amplifies a struggle". Sanhati.
  15. Dahat, Pavan. (12 June 2014). "Chhattisgarh gears for 'result-oriented' approach against Maoists". The Hindu.
  16. Mohan, Vishwa. (8 May 2013). "Government to deploy 10,000 more personnel in four states to fight Maoists". [[The Times of India]].
  17. Thottam, Jyoti. (27 June 2011). "Indian Army Raises the Stakes in Its War Against the Maoists".
  18. (25 July 2011). "South Asia Intelligence Review: Weekly Assessments & Briefings". SATP.
  19. (30 May 2013). "Air Force to lend support for anti-Naxal operations". The Hindu Group.
  20. Sharma, Aman. (19 August 2014). "Government to send 2,000 para-military men of Naga unit to fight Maoists in Bastar". The Economic Times.
  21. "Bihar Police using UAV Drones to track Maoists Movements". Bihar Prabha.
  22. Bhatnagar, Gaurav Vivek. (7 February 2014). "DRDO's UAVs to track down Naxals". The Hindu.
  23. Swami, Praveen. (13 March 2014). "CRPF, State police ignored pinpoint warning on ambush". The Hindu.

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2009-in-indiaaerial-operations-and-battles-involving-indiacommunist-party-of-india-(maoist)conflicts-in-2009conflicts-in-2010conflicts-in-2011conflicts-in-2012conflicts-in-2013conflicts-in-2014counterinsurgency-operationsmanmohan-singh-administrationnaxalite–maoist-insurgencyoperations-involving-special-forces-of-indiaanti-communist-terrorism