Nuapada: A Maoist camp was busted and a large cache of explosives and other materials seized during a combing operation by the District Voluntary Force (DVF) in a forest in the district near the Odisha–Chhattisgarh border, police said Tuesday.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Gundala Reddy Raghavendra told reporters at the district police headquarters that the operation was carried out Monday near Narayan Dongri, a protected forest area close to Jharabandh village under Sinapali police limits in Nuapada district.
Based on intelligence inputs regarding Maoist activity in the region, the DVF launched a combing operation and discovered the camp.
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According to the SP, the security personnel recovered a tiffin bomb, 20 gelatin sticks, and an electric detonator, among other Maoist-related items. Police had earlier received alerts from intelligence sources about Maoist movement in the dense forests of Narayan Dongri. Acting on the SP’s directive, DVF personnel initiated the operation early Monday and successfully dismantled the camp.
Initial findings suggest that the Maoists were regrouping in the area, and may have been planning a major strike. Security officials believe intensified anti-Maoist operations in neighbouring Chhattisgarh are forcing the rebels to take shelter in bordering areas of Odisha.
“The Maoist rebels are attempting to set up new hideouts in the hilly and forested terrain along the Nuapada–Chhattisgarh border. However, the seizure of explosives and destruction of the camp have dealt a major blow to their plans,” the SP said.
PNN
