Hyderabad, Dec. 19 -- In a major development in the anti-Maoist operations in the country, as many as 41 Communist Party of India (Maoist) cadres surrendered before the Telangana police on Friday, December 19, including six senior functionaries.

As part of the surrender process, the cadres handed over 24 firearms and over 700 ammunitions, a release by the police said. The CPI (Maoists) leadership has been deploying cadres to unfamiliar areas without their consent, often in regions where they lack local support and essential necessities. This compelling many to disengage from the CPI (Maoists), it added.

The surrendered group included six senior functionaries holding Company Platoon Committee Member and Divisional Committee Member ranks....