Police, naxals clash 100 times since 2000

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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2009/11/24/stories/2009112451160300.htm)
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Police, naxals clash 100 times since 2000


Staff Reporter

Naveen replies to a query on naxal violence in State
BHUBANESWAR: Even as approach of tackling naxal menace is widely debated in the country, the police have been suffering immensely in the hands of left wing extremists in Orissa since 2000.
In response to a query on confrontation between police and members of CPI (Maoist), Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik informed the State Assembly here on Monday that 145 police personnel have lost their lives in naxal violence.
He said police and Left rebels confronted exactly 100 times since 2000. While 61 left wing extremists were killed in police action, 97 general people became victim in the conflict, Mr. Patnaik said.
The intensity in exchange of fire has increased over the years. During the current year, police and naxalites are engaged in gun battle for 22 times while equal number of exchange of fires was recorded in the year 2006.
However, the gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that in 2000 police and rebels confronted only once and the number of incidents of exchange of fire had never gone beyond 10 till 2005. During past four years, the two sides confronted more than 15 times annually.
Malkanagiri, the southern Orissa district, is clearly far ahead of other district as far as witnessing confrontation between ultras and police is concerned. Casualties on part of CPI (Maoist) remained an issue of wild guess when clash between police and rebels takes place. Naxalites suffered highest casualties of four each in Gajapati and Koraput district in a single event when they mounted attack on camps of security personnel and got killed in retaliation.

Attack on Panchpatmali
About 300-armed Maoists had staged attack on Panchpatmali mines, Asia’s largest bauxite reserve, on the night of April 12 this year.


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