Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] April 23 (ANI): Maharashtra Police is expecting that many Naxals will surrender in the coming months.

The police's hope has arisen after 16 Naxalites were killed in an encounter in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on Sunday.

Addressing media here, Satish Mathur, Director General of Police, Maharashtra, said, "We have clamped down on their (naxals) funding which has helped us in tackling naxalism. We expect to see a number of naxals surrendering in the coming months."

He added that the police are active in the areas where the Naxalite activity has been noticed.

"Naxal activity has been noticed in tri-junction area of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, we are active in that area," Mathur said.

In one of the biggest achievements, Mahrashtra's anti-naxa forces gunned down 16 Naxalites in Etapalli's Boriya forest area of Gadchiroli district.

Special Inspector General of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations) Sharad Shelar told ANI that out of 16 bodies recovered, nine were of male and seven were female. (ANI)

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