India, May 21 -- Security forces achieved a major breakthrough in the fight against Left Wing Extremism with the killing of top Maoist leader Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju, in an intense encounter in the Abujhmad forests of Chhattisgarh.

Basavaraju, the general secretary of the banned CPI (Maoist), was among 26 Maoists neutralised during the operation, one of the most impactful anti-Maoist successes in recent years.

Basava Raju, aged around 70, had been one of India's most wanted Maoist leaders, carrying a reward of Rs.1.5 crore on his head. A native of Jiyannapeta village in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district, he held a BTech degree from the Regional Engineering College (REC) in Warangal.

He had joined the Maoist move...