Left Wing Extremism: India sees fewer Naxals, but more deaths in 2016

The number of security personnel and civilians killed in Naxal-violence hit areas has increased in 2016 and the number of Maoist surrendering had doubled during this period as compared to the previous year. 

According to an official data, last year, a total of 1,048 incidents of violence were reported from Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-hit areas which was slightly low as compared to 1,089 in 2015.

Also, 2016 saw the number of security forces or police personnel killed in Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks or landmine blast shooting up to 40 as compared to 34 in 2015. 

On a day outgoing CRPF Director General K Durga Prasad said Naxal violence incidents during last year were at their "lowest levels", an official data said a total of 278 security forces personnel and civilians were killed last year as compared to 230 in 2015. 

The last year also saw a record number of 1,442 Maoists surrendering, across the LWE-hit states, as compared to 570 in 2015. The number of Naxals arrested by various forces went up to 1,840 last year from 1,668 in 2015. 

The Central Reserve Police Force, with over 90 battalions (90,000 personnel) in the LWE theatre, is the lead anti-Maoist operations force of the country.

• Naxals