More Women Maoists Died in C'garh

In encounter that eliminated Maoist supreme commander, 12 female cadres were slain

- EJAZ KAISER @ Raipur

AS security forces mounted their offensive against the four-decade-old left-wing extremism in the Bastar region, a higher number of women Maoist cadres were neutralized in exchanges of fire in Chhattisgarh.

Of the 27 Maoists killed on Wednesday in south Bastar, 12 were women (44 per cent).

In the 21-day 'Black Forest' operation at Karreguttalu hilly terrain on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border that culminated on May 11, bodies of 16 women (51%) among the 31 Maoists were recovered.

High casualties of women cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) were seen in most of the major gunfights.

In the encounter that eliminated Maoist supreme commander Basavaraju, the 12 women cadres killed included Kalpana as young as 20 years.

The eldest among them were Sangita and Bhumika, both 35 years old.