New Delhi, April 18 -- In a major development from Chhattisgarh's Abhujmaad, security officers recovered Rs.6 lakh cash, 11 laptops, 50 kg explosives, officials said on Friday, adding the hideout in forest hills between villages Kasod-Kumuradi were camps of senior Maoist leaders, who fled when security forces reached the site.

This comes amid 22 Maoists, including nine women, surrendering on Friday in Sukma district, marking a significant breakthrough in the ongoing efforts to combat Maoism, officials said. According to Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan, they cited dismay with "hollow" and "inhuman" Maoist ideology and atrocities on local tribals. Among those, 12 of them carried a cumulative bounty of Rs.40.5 lakh.

Those surre...