Bhopal:Director General of Police Kailash Makwana told the Media that they intensified anti-maoist operations in the districts of Balaghat and Mandla over the past two months.
According to MP Police, anti-Maoist Hawk Force of the state police and local police teams were involved in the operation that took place in a forested area close to the Chhattisgarh border. The gun battle took place in the morning, at a location some 90 km from the district headquarters.
Twelve police teams are carrying out a combing operation to track them down, added Makwana. Madhya Pradesh has three Maoist-affected districts – Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori, according to the Union home ministry. They are among the 38 Maoist-affected districts across nine states.
It may be recalled that Union home minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting with chief ministers of Maoist-affected states in October and sought coordination among security forces in their aim to wipe out Maoism by March 31, 2026. The Maoist-affected states include Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Kerala, Telangana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
According to MHA, the number of police stations reporting LWE-related violence has significantly reduced from 465 police stations in 96 districts in 2010 to 171 police stations across 42 districts in 2023. Up to June 2024, LWE violence was reported from 89 police stations across 30 districts.
