Clashes between Indian police and Maoist insurgents leave 5 dead
Indian police have reported clashes with Maoist insurgents in a forested stronghold in central India, resulting in the deaths of at least four insurgents and one policeman.
Clashes broke out between India’s police force and the Naxalite insurgents on Saturday, in Abujhmarh district of Chhattisgarh state, a key battleground in the insurgency.
“Four bodies of Maoists, who were in their battle uniform, have been recovered after an encounter with police forces,” police inspector general P. Sunderraj was quoted as saying.
Sunderraj added that one police constable had also been killed and the toll was likely to rise.
The Naxalite insurgency is part of an ongoing conflict between Maoist extremist groups and India’s government.
India’s armed forces have intensified their efforts since last year to end the long-running armed conflict.
Amit Shah, India’s interior minister, also warned the insurgents in September to surrender or face an “all-out” assault, saying the government expects to quash the insurgency by early 2026.
According to the Indian government, some 287 insurgents have been killed, and around 1,000 arrested since last year.
The Naxalites, named after the district where their armed campaign began in 1967, were inspired by the Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.
The insurgents claimed they fight for the rights of the marginalized indigenous people in India’s resource-rich central regions.
They demanded jobs, land, and a share of the region’s immense natural resources for local residents, and made inroads in a number of remote communities in eastern and southern India.
They gained in strength and numbers until the early 2000s when India’s government deployed tens of thousands of security forces against them.
They have conducted multiple attacks on the security forces and government workers, which have resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 civilians and 2,500 security force personnel since the 2000s.
India’s government has invested millions of dollars in local infrastructure and social projects to combat the Naxalite appeal. The insurgency has been drastically restricted in the area in recent years.
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