The Maoists in Bastar went from one village to another with kits providing badly needed medical intervention. The medical help was one key reason why the tribals were attracted to the Maoists, points out M R Narayan Swamy.
'The Maoist leadership spread fear that surrender meant torture or death. Once that false narrative collapsed and our operations proved transparent and credible, the surrender momentum became irreversible.' 'From 42,000 square kilometres, Maoist activity is now confined to barely 500-600 square kilometres -- less than two per cent of Bastar. This is their last remaining base area.'
At least one person was killed and several others, including policemen, were injured in a clash between evicted people and security personnel in Paikan Reserve Forest in Assam's Goalpara district on Thursday, an official said.
Security forces have established a new camp in the Karregutta Hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, a former Naxal stronghold, following a major anti-Naxal operation.
A security camp has been established in the Naxalite-hit Sukma district of Chhattisgarh to improve security and facilitate development. The camp, set up by security forces, aims to dominate the area, secure development works, improve coordination with villagers, and intensify anti-Naxal operations.
If the threat from the 'Maovadis' (Maoists) is fading, the danger now lies with the 'MoUvadis' -- those who might exploit the resource-rich Abujhmad region through corporate or State-backed projects.
A soldier critically injured in a gunfight with terrorists in the Udhampur district succumbed to his injuries. A joint search operation by the Army and police is underway in the remote forest area.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said local residents must be given priority in jobs at the upcoming Vadhavan Port project in Palghar district, and warned that any attempts to deprive them of their 'rightful employment' at the mega facility would not be tolerated.
Top Naxalite commander Madvi Hidma, who had masterminded several attacks over the last two decades, was killed in an encounter in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, a breakthrough Chhattisgarh Police described as the 'last nail in the coffin' of the insurgency.
Arsenal snapped a season-long jinx against Newcastle United with a nervy 1-0 win in their last Premier League home game on Sunday.
Improved fire-fighting equipment and proper training for forest guards is a must to ensure that fires like the recent ones don't occur again. In the first of a three-part series, Geetanjali Krishna looks at the burning issues that need to be resolved.
The encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Gudar forest area of Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir, has entered its second day. Two terrorists and two soldiers have been killed in the ongoing gunbattle.
The tree, about seven years old, will be transplanted near the Prerna Sthal, which houses the statues of national icons and freedom fighters that were earlier at different places on the premises.
Sri Lanka stays with you not just in memory, but gently reminds you what a society can achieve when heart and heritage guide the way.
The Chhattisgarh High Court has ruled that anti-Naxal operations, as part of regular counter-insurgency measures, should not be investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) unless exceptional circumstances justify such intervention. The ruling came as the court dismissed a petition seeking an SIT probe into the killing of a Maoist leader in Narayanpur district.
Bodies of three Maoists, including a woman cadre, were recovered from the site, along with a self-loading rifle (SLR), a .303 rifle, a 12-bore gun and other Naxalite-related materials, the SP said.
Security forces have cordoned off the area after the brutal attack by the terrorists.
How a Legendary Commando's Downfall Began with a Simple Meal: The Tale of Bajrang Singh's Capture.
210 Maoist cadres, including a Central Committee member, surrendered to authorities in Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur, marking the "largest mass surrender" in the state's anti-Naxal operations. The surrendered Naxalites carried a collective bounty of Rs 9.18 crore and handed over 153 weapons. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed the development as a historic moment for Chhattisgarh and the nation.
The terrorists chose Baisaran as the target due to its "high tourist presence", "relative isolation" and after considering that the "response (from the security agencies) would take time".
Security forces killed three unidentified terrorists in a gun battle in the Harwan forests near Dachigam. The operation followed intelligence inputs suggesting terrorist movement in the area after the Pahalgam attack.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced that the state will provide 20 percent reservation for Agniveers in the recruitment of state police. The move aims to secure the future of Agniveers by providing them with jobs after their service period in the armed forces. This builds upon a previous announcement by the state government to provide a 10 percent reservation for Agniveers in various government positions. The state government is also offering various other benefits for Agniveers, including financial assistance, job training, and priority in obtaining gun licenses.
A search operation by a joint team of security forces is underway to track down three Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists in a forested area of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, officials said on Friday.
They said police parties fanned out to find them amid reports that they had been abducted and killed by terrorists.
Heavy Pakistani shelling in the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir left nine people dead and 28 injured. The shelling, described by residents and officials as "barbaric and cowardly", started around 2 am, damaging dozens of residential houses, shops, vehicles, and heritage sites. The incident comes after India launched "Operation Sindoor" in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. India condemned the act, calling it a cowardly attack on civilians, and reaffirmed that civilian safety remains its top priority.
States like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh had on Friday announced similar incentives.
Four persons, including a forest guard, were killed in violence at the Assam-Meghalaya border in West Karbi Anglong district in the early hours of Tuesday after a truck transporting illegal timber was intercepted, officials said.
Modi, on his maiden visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, first took the elephant safari in Mihimukh area of the Central Kohora Range of the park followed by the jeep safari inside the same range.
In a heinous terror attack, two Indians were killed while one was abducted in the Dosso region of Niger, as noted by the Indian Embassy in Niger.
The reservation would include a 10 per cent horizontal quota for Agniveers in the posts of constable, mining guard, forest guard, jail warden, and special police officers.
Security forces are on high alert along the India-Nepal border after intelligence reports indicated that over two dozen Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals are attempting to infiltrate the area. The suspected infiltrators are believed to have reached Nepal amid a pause in India-Pakistan hostilities. The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), tasked with guarding the border, has intensified patrolling and increased checkpoints to verify the identity of individuals crossing the border. The India-Nepal border spans approximately 1,750 kilometers, touching five Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh.
The gunfight broke out in the morning hours in a forest under the Kerlapal police station area where a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Maoist operation, an official said.
'It is a clear dent on a lady's dignity and right of privacy guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India.'
Security forces have intensified search operations using aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs following a night-long cordon after fresh reports of suspected movement of three individuals in Panjtirthi area of Kathua.
The Assam forest department is keen to arm forest guards in Kaziranga National Park with sophisticated weapons like AK series assault rifles to counter the new brand of rhino poachers who are using sophisticated weapons.
During Operation Kagar, 350 Naxalites have been killed so far, including some of the movement's top leaders.
A hill with an altitude of 5,000 feet, once a hub of the Maoists along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, was reclaimed by the security forces after driving out the extremists following nine days of intense anti-Naxal operation, official sources said.
Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, the powerful general secretary of Communist Party of India-Maoist killed in an encounter along with 26 others on Wednesday, had masterminded several major attacks on security forces in Chhattisgarh and his death is a big blow to the armed movement, said officials.
Maoists have admitted that 28 cadres, including their top leader Basavaraju, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region last week. The Naxals also claimed that some of their cadres had surrendered to police and provided information that led to the operation. Police have recovered a large cache of weapons, including an AK-47 looted by Basavaraju from security forces in a 2010 ambush.
Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir are continuing a multi-agency operation to track down three terrorists who have escaped multiple encounters. The operation has entered its 12th day and has seen the deployment of additional troops, aerial surveillance, and a crackdown on terrorist supporters.