Maoists admit to losses, 350 cadres killed last year

Two Maoists, one CRPF jawan killed in gunfight in Jharkhand

- Srinivasa Rao Apparasu and Ritesh Mishra

The Communist Party of India (Maoist) has admitted to significant losses, acknowledging that 357 of its cadres were killed in the past year and that “improper implementation” of their secretive tactics were to blame for the government having succeeded in its Operation Kagaar.

The admission, contained ina 22-page document dated June 23 and circulated by the party's Central Committee, offers a rare official acknowledgment of massive losses and strategic failure froma left-wing extremist movement that the government has vowed to uproot by April, 2026.

The most significant setback was the death of Nambala Kesava Rao, the general secretary of the outfit, on May 21.

Police officials confirmed the document was distributed among cadres and sympathisers following strategic discussions after the killing of Rao, who was known as Basvaraju.

The Maoist leadership attrib-

DHANBAD: Two Maoists and a commando from the 209 CoBRA battalion of the CRPF were Killed in a gunfight in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district on Wednesday, police said.

The gunfight broke out between the security forces and the Maoists in the Birhordera forest in the Gomia police station area around 5.30am, they said.

“The security forces gunned down two Maoists during the encounter. A jawan of the CPRF’s CoBRA