NEW DELHI: Two days after the Naxal attack in Sukma in which 12 CRPF personnel were killed, the Centre on Wednesday constituted a high-level committee to review the Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for anti-Naxal operations.
The committee, headed by former CRPF DG K Vijay Kumar, who is also an advisor to the Home Ministry on the issue, will examine the events that led to the ambush near Chintagufa in Chhattisgarh. Kumar will submit his report within two weeks including recommendations.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the Parliament on Wednesday that anti-naxal operations will continue despite the major blow to the forces. The minister, who visited Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, made a statement in Lok Sabha that the Maoists’ morale had gone down and an increasing number of naxals are surrendering. “We are determined to provide all required resources to our forces and will continue the operation till Maoism is finished,” Rajnath said.
Rajnath said the operation in Sukma started on November 16 on the basis of intelligence inputs. Around 2253 CRPF and 224 state police personnel were involved in the offensive against the ultras. In the first two phases, November 17 and November 21 respectively, several encounters between security forces and naxals were reported. Citing intelligence and media reports Rajnath said on November 21, unconfirmed report suggests that 12 Maoists were killed in an encounter.