In a significant escalation of its military operations, India’s security forces have killed at least 27 suspected communist militants in central India on Wednesday. This action forms part of an intensified campaign aimed at defeating a Maoist insurgency that has persisted for decades. Authorities have set an ambitious deadline for March next year to eradicate the remnants of this insurgency.
Police chief Prabhat Kumar reported that the operation targeted senior leaders of the Maoist group, claiming that influential members were among those killed. Notably, local media have identified one of the deceased as Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju, a prominent figure within the militant faction.
Just a week prior, the government announced the killing of 31 members of the Maoist movement during another operation occurring in a hilly area between Chhattisgarh and a neighboring state. Home Minister Amit Shah characterized the earlier operation as a “historic breakthrough” in the ongoing fight against insurgency.
However, human rights advocates are pressing for further investigations into whether all who perished were indeed militants or if civilians were among the casualties. Bela Bhatia, a lawyer working in the affected regions, pointed out delays in body identification processes, which she claims can hinder families’ efforts to ascertain the fate of their loved ones.
