Indian security forces have killed 27 Maoist insurgents, including Nambala Keshava Rao, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), in a major counter-insurgency operation. Home Minister Amit Shah lauded the operation, saying this is the first time in three decades that a top Maoist leader has been neutralized. Keshava Rao, also known as Basavaraju, was a native of Telangana and took over the reins of India’s largest armed leftist insurgency group from Muppala Lakshmana Rao in 2018. The successful raid marks a significant milestone in India’s decades-long battle against Naxalite violence.