Come monsoon, Dandakaranya—the country‘s largest Naxal den, turns into a terrain of rain and slush, restricting the movement of Maoist cadres who take refuge in its dense forests. They use this time to hone their tactics and blend with the local population in nearby villages.

Over the years, the monsoon season is preceded by a hot chase for the Maoists, as thinning forest cover helps security forces access their strongholds. This has led to deadly encounters with security forces — Dantewada (April 2010), Darbha Valley (May 2013), and Bhejji in south Bastar (March 2017) — all in Chhattisgarh, as the CPI (Maoist) carried out its tactical counter-offensive campaign between March and June.

The TCOC is a military training period of the CPI (Maoist), and fresh recruitment from villages dominat

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