Central Committee member Sudhakar, a most-wanted Naxal leader with a Rs 40 lakh reward for his capture, was neutralized during an intense firefight with joint security forces on Thursday. The encounter occurred in the strategically important National Park area, where actionable intelligence had pinpointed the presence of senior Maoist cadres.

A coordinated team comprising District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel and Special Task Force (STF) operatives launched the precision operation in the densely forested terrain. The confrontation began in the early morning hours and continued as security forces engaged the armed insurgents in sustained combat.

This elimination represents the latest success in a series of major anti-Naxal operations that have significantly weakened the insurgent leadership structure. The operation follows the May neutralization of Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju, a top-tier Maoist leader who carried an unprecedented Rs 1.5 crore bounty.

Nambala Keshav Rao's elimination was particularly significant as he served as general secretary of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and had been instrumental in the Naxalite movement since the late 1970s. His death occurred during a comprehensive joint operation in the Abujhmad forests, where 30 Naxals were neutralized in what authorities described as a landmark achievement.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah characterized these operations as pivotal moments in India's three-decade battle against Naxalism, noting that the elimination of a general secretary-ranked leader represented an unprecedented breakthrough for security forces.

The momentum of these successful operations appears to be influencing rank-and-file insurgents, as evidenced by the recent surrender of 16 Naxalites in Sukma district. The surrendering cadres, including six with collective rewards totaling Rs 25 lakh, cited disillusionment with Maoist ideology and concern over atrocities against local tribal populations as reasons for their decision to abandon the insurgency.

These developments signal a potentially transformative phase in India's counter-insurgency efforts, with security forces demonstrating enhanced operational capabilities in dismantling the Naxal command structure while simultaneously creating conditions for voluntary surrenders among lower-level operatives.