Bhubaneswar/Phulbani: Odisha has lost 239 security personnel in the three-decade-long fight against Maoists, but the insurgency is in the final stage with the surrender of five Naxals, including the most-wanted red rebel Sukru alias Kosa Sodi, a senior officer said Wednesday.
Additional Director General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sanjeeb Panda made the statement while accepting the surrender of five red rebels, including CPI (Maoist) State Committee Member Sukru (49), at the Police Reserve Ground in Phulbani, the district headquarters of Kandhamal.
“The state has lost 239 security personnel during the three-decade-long fight against Naxals. We pay our highest tributes to the martyrs… The fight against Maoists is nearly over. At present, only around eight-nine Naxals, all hailing from Chhattisgarh, are active in small pockets of Kandhamal district. We are optimistic that they will surrender before March 31,” Panda said.
The officer said the surrender of the five Maoists will boost anti-Naxal efforts and that the red rebels voluntarily laid down their arms and decided to join the mainstream.
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