Naxalite–Maoist insurgency

Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
	; Red Corridor–Naxalite active zones in 2024
Date	18 May 1967 – present; (58 years, 9 months, 3 weeks and 4 days)
Location	India
Status	Ongoing as a low-level insurgency
Belligerents
India Central Armed Police Forces Central Reserve Police Force Commando Battalion for Resolute Action; ; Border Security Force; Indo-Tibetan Border Police; Central Industrial Security Force; ; State Armed Police Forces District Reserve Guard; Greyhounds; Jharkhand Jaguar; Special Operation Group (Odisha); ; Indian Armed Forces (training & support); ; Militias: (until 2011) Bhumi Sena; Kuer Sena; Lorik Sena; Ranvir Sena; Salwa Judum; Sunlight Sena; Tritiya Prastuti Committee;	Naxalites CPI (Maoist) PLGA; ; Jharkhand Janmukti Parishad; PLFI; Revolutionary Communist Centre; (2006–2019); Odisha Maobadi Party (2002–2015); CPI(ML) Liberation (1974–1992) Lal Sena; ; CPI(ML) Janashakti (1992–2013); CPUSI (1997–2005); CPI(ML) ND; CPI(ML) MM (until 2012); ABNES (until 2002); TNLA; (until 2005); ; Supported by: ULFA; NSCN; PLA-MP; MCPM; KCP; ; Declared support: ; International Communist League ; CPN (RM) (until 2023) ; CPN (2014) ; NPA ; PBSP (until 2021) ; PBCP (until 2021) ; CIC (until 1977) ; CCP (Maoist) (until 1976) ; Khmer Rouge (until 1999) ; Shining Path (from 2004) ; MPCP (alleged) ;
Commanders and leaders
Droupadi Murmu; Narendra Modi; Amit Shah; Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar ; Pranay Sahay; Mahendra Karma X; (Salwa Judum); Brahmeshwar Singh X; (Ranvir Sena)	Ganapathy Past senior commanders: Keshava Rao †; Thippiri Tirupathi ; Barsa Deva ; Madvi Hidma †; Mallujola Venugopal ; Chalpathi †; Charu Majumdar #; Jangal Santhal #; Kanu Sanyal #; Babu Panda (POW); Azad †; Anand #; Kondapalli Seetharamaiah #; Kosa †; Koteswara Rao †; Kishan (POW); Ashutosh Tudu (POW); Naveen Babu †; Narmada Akka †; Deo Kumar Singh #; Milind Teltumbde †; Jagdish Mahto †; Ravindra Singh (POW); Mahendar Singh †; Shankar Rao †; Vinod Gowda † ;
Strength
CRPF: 313,634; State Police Forces: 1,289,900	350+ (2026 est., according to the Government of India); 6,500–9,500 (2013 est.); 10,000–20,000 (2009–2010 est.)
Casualties and losses
2000–2026:; 2,723 killed	2000–2026:; 5,052 killed; 19,682 surrendered ; 17,212 captured
	2000–2026: 4,138 civilians killed

The Naxalite–Maoist insurgency is an ongoing conflict between the Indian government and left-wing extremist groups. The Naxalites are a group of communist groups following Maoist political sentiment and ideology, and claim to fight a rural rebellion and people's war against the government.

The insurgency started after the 1967 Naxalbari uprising and the subsequent split of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leading to the creation of a Marxist–Leninist faction. The faction later splintered into various smaller groups. The Naxalites' armed wing, the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, was declared a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of India (1967), and has been responsible for numerous attacks causing several deaths and injury to civilians and security personnel.

The insurgency reached its peak in the late 2010s and has been on the decline since then due to the counter-insurgency actions and development plans formulated by the Indian government. The Naxal influence zone, known as the red corridor, has shrunk from a peak of nearly 180 districts in the late 2000s to 12 districts by 2025, with over 5,000 insurgents being killed since the 2000 and more than 10,000 surrendering between 2015 and 2025.