New Delhi: Naxalites have adopted a new tactic of using women and children as human-shields during exchange of fire with security forces, the government on Wednesday said.
Among other new strategies, the rebels are "using terrorist tactics like kidnappings to get their cadres released and are attempting to link-up with North-East insurgent outfits for supply of arms and ammunition", Minister of State for Home Affairs Jitendra Singh told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
Naxals are increasingly using area weapons like mortars, Molotov cocktails through country-made launchers and better communication equipments smuggled from abroad, he said.
They are deploying small 'action-teams' for select assassinations and jan-militia members for IED-based warfare, raising funds by encouraging opium/ganja cultivation, resorting to brutality like beheading while killing police informers and 'class-enemies', the minister said.
Replying to another question, he said, "A total number of 142 security personnel were martyred in 2011 and 85 security personnel have been martyred in 2012 (up to July)...The majority of civilians killed by the Maoists are tribals."
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, August 22, 2012, 15:54