Atleast 22 security personnel of Chhattisgarh police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed in a Maoist ambush in Bijapur on Sunday. At the centre of the attack was Maoist leader Madvi Hidma, for whom the operation was launched along the borders of Bijapur and Sukma.

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Chief of Battalion 1 of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PGLA), Hidma first joined the Maoist movement in the 1990s, according to media reports. Although his real age isn’t known, Hidma is believed to be in his 40s or early 50s.

A native of the region, he is also a member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), which is a Communist Party of India (Maoist) wing engaged in formulating policies and the propagation of Maoist ideology.

A ruthless Maoist, Hidma has been engaged in several attacks on the central forces, including the May 2013 Jhiram Ghati massacre that wiped out several top leaders of the Chhattisgarh Congress.

He was also involved in the 2010 Dantewada attack in which 76 security personnel were killed. Hidma was also a part of the 2017 Burkapal ambush in which 24 CRPF personnel were killed.

Also read: 400 Maoists ambushed 22 security personnel in Chhattisgarh: Report

As per media reports, the Maoist leader carries a reward of Rs 40 lakh on his head.