Those who surrendered include 25 Militia members of Naxals.

NEW DELHI: In what is being considered a major achievement in the fight against Naxals, 188 Maoists and their sympathisers surrendered in front of security forces on Saturday in Malkangiri area in Odisha.

The Naxals surrendered in presence of officers of 202 Cobra unit of CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and state police.

Those who surrendered include 25 Militia members of Naxals, 10 village committee members and 154 Maoist sympathisers, said officials.

This comes two weeks after a major attack was done on a CRPF convoy in Chhattisgarh in which seven officials were killed when they were travelling to save a sniffer dog's life.

Officials say that security forces have been mounting huge pressure on naxals and their sympathisers over past few years and a large number of them have surrendered, especially in Odisha.

Chhattisgarh, officials say, still remains a cause of worry for the forces, where it is believed that about 1,500 militia is present in jungle while some 10,000 sympathisers assist them.

