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Naxalism on wane: Maoist incidents, civilian casualties drop sharply
Official data shows that the number of naxal-related incidents, comprising security operations as well as naxal-initiated violence, has been declining over the past 12 years with an aberration in 2022
Jayant Pankaj New Delhi
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Last week, a top leader of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), Nambala Keshava Rao — popularly known as Basavaraju — was among the 27 killed in an encounter with the security forces in Chhattisgarh. The operation formed a key part of Operation Black Forest which began in April this year. Following this, there has been a surge in Maoist encounters across Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Jharkhand. Calling it 'the most decisive strike' against insurgency in three decades, Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that Naxalism would be eradicated by March 31, 2026.
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