2008 will go down in the annals of history for the lowest ever incidents of left wing violence in Andhra Pradesh as the state police and its elite wing Greyhounds managed to establish a clear upper hand over the armed rebels.

State director general of police Shyamsundar Prasad Yadav in his year-end report said that there was a 30 percent decline in the extremist offences in the state over 2007.

On the whole 118 lives were lost in the Maoist attacks and the counter operations by the police during the year.

While police killed 36 extremists including several top rung leaders like five state committee members and four Dalam commanders of outlawed CPI Maoists, 45 civilians also lost their lives.

The Maoists, on the other hand, carried out a single spectacular  attack on the police and killed 37 personnel when they attacked and drowned a launch in Balimela reservoir of Orissa bordering Andhra Pradesh.

Those killed include 33 Greyhound commandos, one civilian sub inspector and three Home Guards who were returning from Orissa after participating in anti Maoist operations there.

Except this incident on June 29, the police did not suffer any loss of life in any other incidents. There were 27 incidents of exchanges of fire with the extremists all of them in the areas bordering with Orissa and Chattisgarh. 

"There was not a single encounter in the traditional extremist affected areas of Nallamalla forest, North Telangana and other parts of the state. This shows that armed squads in these areas have been driven away or just melted. At present the extremist activity is limited to Andhra-Orissa border and Andhra-Chhattisgarh border. We are taking proper care. Our teams are going in to Orissa and Chhattisgarh. AP-Orissa is one area where we are still to get command over that", said K Arvind Rao, the additional director general of police (Intelligence).

The total number of Maoist offences during 2008 was 94 compared to 132 last year, and 212 in 2006, and 708 in 2004.

Pointing out that the fight against the extremists in Andhra Pradesh was four decades old, the Yadav told the year-end press conference that the AP police could gain an upper hand over them due to the excellent cooperation.

"Our forces are all the time prepared they are still active in the affected areas bordering our neighboring state.  People have been helping us in all possible manners in containing the influence of extremists in our state", he said.