The Communist Party of India (Maoist) has been ranked fourth among the top ten most active non-state armed groups in 2013, according to study released this week by a major defence and business risk think-tank.
According to the IHS Jane’s latest ‘Global Terrorism and Insurgency Attack Index,’ a total of 258 attacks were claimed by, or attributed to, the CPI(Maoist), even though this represented a 29 per cent decrease from the 362 attacks recorded in 2012.
In a note to The Hindu, Matthew Henman, Manager of IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre explained that the decrease in CPI(Maoist) attacks not only came amid a wider 16 per cent decrease in attacks nationwide, but also a 19 per cent decrease in the number of recorded counter-terrorism operations.
“As such, despite progress in the counter-insurgency against the CPI(Maoist), the fall in attacks was also likely somewhat attributable to authorities challenging the group less in its extensive area of operations in the so-called ‘Red Belt’ States,” he added.
Among other insurgent groups listed in the top ten rankings are the Taliban (second rank), al-Qaeda in Iraq (fifth), al-Shabaab (sixth), Colombia’s FARC (seventh) and Syrian Jabhat al-Nusra (ninth).
