Raipur, Oct 17: In a major boost to India’s campaign against Left-Wing Extremism, 208 Naxalites, including 110 women, surrendered in Chhattisgarh on Friday, handing over 153 weapons as part of the state’s surrender and rehabilitation drive.

Officials said the surrendered cache included 19 AK-47 rifles, 17 SLRs, and 36 .303 rifles, among other firearms. The development marks a decisive shift in the fight against Naxalism, with most of the Abujhmad and North Bastar regions now cleared of Naxal presence, leaving South Bastar as the only remaining hotspot.

Calling it a “historic day for Chhattisgarh,” senior BJP leader Amit Malviya said the mass surrender reflected growing confidence in the government’s peace and rehabilitation policies.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has set a March 20

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