Indian Maoists facing ammunition shortages

• Tweet

HYDERABAD, India, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- CPI (Maoist) guerrillas operating in 83 districts in nine Indian states are facing ammunition shortages, the government said.

Sources in the State Intelligence Branch dealing with Communist Party of India (Maoist) Naxalite intelligence said the insurgents are finding it increasingly difficult to procure ammunition for their AK-47s, self-loading and .303 rifles, the majority of which have been seized from security forces during raids and ambushes.

Indian army ammunition is manufactured by the Indian Ordnance Factories and, as army depots are well-guarded with increased security, the rebels are facing shortages as cross-border sources have also dried up.

A State Intelligence Branch official, speaking on condition of anonymity said: "After the Koraput and Nayagarh raids in Odisha, there have been no major raids by the Maoists. In Andhra Pradesh, there is no scope for them to procure ammunition. They are only active in Khammam district and Visakhapatnam rural borders with Chhattisgarh and Odisha," the Deccan Chronicle reported.

Some CPI (Maoist) guerrillas have taken to manufacturing their own ammunition, reportedly with mixed results.