Naxals using women, kids as shields : Govt

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.