India, May 15 -- Security forces have captured the strategic Karreguttalu hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, once under the exclusive control of Maoists, killing 31 rebels during a mammoth three-week operation involving 26,000 personnel, officials announced on Wednesday.

The operation, titled Black Forest and concluded on May 11, dismantled what authorities described as the unified headquarters of several Naxal formations, including the notorious People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion 1, the DKSZC, TSC, and the CRC.

"The hills which were ruled by red terror now proudly hoist the tricolour," said Union home minister Amit Shah, calling it the "biggest operation till date."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, quoting Sh...