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A total of 22 naxals surrendered before Odisha Police in Malkanagiri on Tuesday, marking another success in the central government’s effort to curb Left-Wing Extremism and restore lasting peace in the region.Odisha Police confirmed the surrender of the 22 Naxals, who sought rehabilitation, voluntarily giving up thier arms and ammunition. Last Week, as many as 34 Naxals surrendered in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. The surrendered Maoist cadres were collectively carrying a reward of Rs 84 lakh, the Bijapur Police said.The surrender took place under the state government’s rehabilitation initiative titled “Poona Margham: Punarvas Se Punarjeevan” (Return to the Mainstream: Social Reintegration through Rehabilitation), which focuses on reintegrating former extremists and welfare-based measures. Officials said the move reflects the growing impact of sustained anti-Naxal policies combined with confidence-building efforts.Among those who laid down arms were 34 Maoists belonging to the South Sub-Zonal Bureau, including seven women and 27 men. In addition to the DKSZC unit, the surrendered Naxals included members from the Telangana State committee and the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) division, indicating that the schemes extend beyond district and state boundaries. Meanwhile, as part of its strategy to establish dominance over Naxalism, with the Centre setting March 2026 as the deadline to eliminate the menace, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), one of the principal forces tasked with countering Left Wing Extremism, has set up a total of 229 Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) across six key Naxal-affected states from 2019 to till date.The FOBs have been a key component of the government’s security strategy to counter Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in Naxal-affected regions. These bases are established by central armed police forces, including the CRPF and its specialised units, in remote, forested and insurgency-prone areas that were earlier considered strongholds of Naxal groups.Out of the total 229 Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), the highest number 59, have been established so far this year, followed by 40 in 2024, 27 in 2023, 48 in 2022, 29 in 2021, 18 in 2020 and eight in 2019.These FOBs have been established across Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Telangana.
