NEW DELHI: Indian police stated on Saturday that 47 Maoist rebels have surrendered, almost a month following the declaration of India as being free from the prolonged insurgency.

The campaign initiated by India over the past two years targeted the remnants of the Naxalite rebellion, which traces its origin back to a village in the Himalayan foothills nearly six decades ago.

Police authorities in the southern state of Telangana announced that 47 Maoist members have 'chosen to join the mainstream,' emphasizing that almost all remaining key underground leaders have now been neutralized.

India's Home Minister Amit Shah declared the country Naxal-free on March 30th.

The conflict has claimed more than 12,000 lives, including rebels, soldiers, and civilians since its inception in 1967 when a small group of villagers took up arms against their feudal lords.

At its peak in the mid-2000s, the insurgency operated across vast areas with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 fighters; however, it has significantly weakened over recent years.

Police have urged remaining insurgents to lay down their arms as well.

Authorities are providing support to surrendered rebels through vocational training and rehabilitation programs aimed at reintegrating them into society.

The 47 Maoist combatants who have surrendered will collectively receive a total sum of $159,000 for their rehabilitation, equating to approximately $3,400 each.

Nevertheless, challenges persist in removing hundreds of crude land mines that the insurgents planted along forest tracks.

The motivation behind the Maoists' actions has previously been described as fighting for the rights of marginalized Indigenous people within the mineral-rich forests of central India.