‘Eye On Hidma For 34 Hours, Small Teams, Multiple Tiers’: How Maoist Commander Was Killed In 4 Hours

Last Updated:November 18, 2025, 14:59 IST

Intelligence agencies, with critical assistance from local sources, obtained precise and actionable information on Hidma’s movements, sources told News18

Top maoist commander Madvi Hidma, behind 26 armed attacks, killed in encounter.

How did security forces and intelligence agencies manage to kill top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, who was being tracked for years? Hidma, who carried a bounty of Rs 50 lakh-1 crore, was the mastermind behind at least 26 attacks on police and paramilitary forces over the past decade. Security sources said he directly planned or coordinated some of the most brutal ambushes in Bastar, Sukma, Dantewada, and the Maoist corridor extending toward Malkangiri. He was killed with five others, including his wife.

News18 gets you details of the operation from sources.

The operation against Hidma

Intelligence agencies, with critical assistance from local sources, obtained precise and actionable information on Hidma’s movements, sources told News18. After monitoring his activities for approximately 34 hours, forces mobilised a small team to carry out the operation, they added.

Multiple tiers of security personnel from Central forces were strategically deployed around the suspected encounter site to prevent any possibility of escape, thereby ensuring that the target remained confined within a controlled perimeter.

According to sources, around 2 am, security forces started the operation. A prolonged engagement lasting nearly four hours neutralised Hidma. Central security forces assisted Greyhound, who planned and executed the encounter.

The challenges

For years, security forces and intelligence agencies attempted to pinpoint the movements and hideouts of Hidma. Despite numerous large-scale operations, neutralising him proved extraordinarily difficult due to the region’s terrain, limited intelligence, and his strong grassroots network. Hidma repeatedly managed to slip away from heavily deployed forces, largely because of his tactical discipline and deep understanding of the jungle.

According to officials familiar with anti-Naxal operations, Hidma operated primarily in the dense forests of the Dandakaranya region—an area marked by rugged hills, thick vegetation, and minimal road connectivity. The steep terrain and maze-like forest trails gave his unit a natural advantage over security forces.

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Born in Sukma, Hidma possessed an intimate knowledge of the region’s topography. This familiarity allowed him to evade several high-intensity operations over the years. Locals often acted as his eyes and ears—providing him with timely updates on troop movement, while occasionally misleading security personnel.

Intelligence gathering in these interiors remained one of the biggest obstacles. With sparse communication networks and widely scattered villages, obtaining real-time, actionable inputs was rare. Even when information was secured, it frequently became outdated by the time teams reached the suspected location.

Hidma’s strategic mobility

Hidma was also known for frequently shifting camps. Security teams often found deserted hideouts that appeared to have been abandoned minutes earlier. Officials say his group maintained strict discipline, avoided electronic communication, and relied on coded signals and natural cues to coordinate movement.

Local support further strengthened his ability to remain undetected. Being from the region, Hidma spoke local dialects fluently and maintained strong influence among tribal communities. This network enabled him to receive early warnings about the presence of security forces long before any operation could close in.

Despite intensified operations in recent years, Hidma’s ability to blend into the jungle environment, combined with his strategic mobility, made him one of the most challenging Maoist leaders for security forces to neutralise.

Security officials say operations along the Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh border continue, with coordinated efforts now targeting the remaining leadership of the Maoist organisation.

Ankur Sharma

With over 15 years of journalistic experience, Ankur Sharma, Associate Editor, specializes in internal security and is tasked with providing comprehensive coverage from the Ministry of Home Affairs, paramilitar...Read More

With over 15 years of journalistic experience, Ankur Sharma, Associate Editor, specializes in internal security and is tasked with providing comprehensive coverage from the Ministry of Home Affairs, paramilitar...

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