Two leftist rebels were killed in a clash with police in Eastern India. Local communist rebels have killed 35 police so far this year.
In northeast India, tribal rebels are suffering from demoralization. Some 70 rebels surrendered to the police in October, continuing a trend that has been going on for over a year. Life in the jungle camps is hard and the Indian government shows no sign to giving in to rebel demands for independence. Over the last ten years, 200-300 rebels a year would surrender. These were usually replaced with new recruits. But that is changing, as potential recruits are reluctant to risk their lives for what appears to be a lost cause. There are thought to be about 3,000 United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) rebels in northeast India. Another rebel group in the area (National Liberation Front of Tripura, or NLFT), has reacted to desertions by wiping out the families of deserters. This has also hurt recruitment.