CRPF moves anti-Naxal battalion from Chhattisgarh to Manipur
The withdrawal of over 1,000 personnel marks the first full paramilitary de-induction from the anti-Naxal theatre since March.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has withdrawn a battalion of more than 1,000 personnel from anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh and redirected them to Manipur, according to reports by The Times of India and The Tribune. This move is the first complete withdrawal of a Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) unit from the anti-Naxal theatre since the Union government declared the end of armed Maoism in March.
The battalion was previously stationed in the Sukma district of the south Bastar region. For several years, the unit conducted Left Wing Extremism (LWE) operations and had recently been engaged in defusing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and de-mining activities.
A senior security officer in Delhi stated that the CRPF headquarters ordered the de-induction of the general duty battalion to bolster security in Manipur, where ethnic violence has persisted for over three years. The officer noted that there is a plan to potentially pull at least three additional paramilitary battalions from Chhattisgarh and Odisha to support Manipur and strengthen borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
While the CRPF has directed neighbouring units and Chhattisgarh Police to take over the vacated posts, a senior Chhattisgarh Police officer warned that the move might create a vacuum in the anti-Naxal operations grid. The officer noted the unit had been working to secure public routes through de-mining in Sukma.
The deployment in Manipur follows the recent arrival of two Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) units, alongside regular CRPF and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel. Officials said instructions have been issued to address expected logistical and accommodation challenges for the incoming troops.