On Friday, Indian security forces killed at least 31 suspected Maoist insurgents in Chhattisgarh’s vast Abujhmad jungle during a nine-hour gunfight. Counterinsurgency soldiers surrounded 50 rebels near Narayanpur and Dantewada districts based on intelligence. The Thursday operation recovered automatic guns and other weapons. Interestingly, Indian forces suffered no casualties.
Since 1967, Naxalites have fought the Indian government for the rights of poor Indigenous communities. The Naxalite movement, which takes its cue from Mao Zedong, calls for land, employment, and a more equitable distribution of natural resource income. The Indian government has invested heavily in remote infrastructure to quell the insurgency.
Despite these attempts, Maoist rebels continue to kill Indian forces, including 22 police and paramilitary soldiers in 2021. Rebels have organized ambushes, destroyed government property, and seized firearms to arm their fighters. The government has reduced combat zones from 96 districts in 2010 to 45 in 2023, but the recent clash shows that the decades-long insurgency continues.
This high-stakes combat highlights India’s ongoing conflict with central and northern Maoist militants.
Image Credits: https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2574024/world
