Sambalpur: Police Tuesday busted a Maoist camp during a combing operation inside a jungle near Udal forest and seized a huge cache of arms, ammunition and other materials from the camp.
During the combing operation, police urged ultras to surrender. As the militants did not listen, an exchange of fire ensured between them, after which, the left wing extremists (LWEs) dispersed in the jungle, said Sambalpur superintendent of police Akhileswar Singh while addressing media here Wednesday.
Police suspected that the camp was erected by LWEs’ Central Committee member Mishir Besra (60). As a huge quantity of medicines, a stethoscope, equipment to measure blood sugar level and other medical gadgets were recovered from the camp, police suspected that Besra might be unwell.
Notably, the Centre has declared Rs 25 lakh cash award for information leading to Besra’s capture, dead or alive.
Singh added that on the basis of an intelligence report that a group of militants including women were moving through the jungles of Deogarh, Sambalpur and Redhakhol to Angul, police along with jawans of Central Reserve Police Force and District Voluntary Force (DVF) started a combing operation Monday.
They stumbled upon the ultras Monday evening. During the 25-minute encounter, police fired 126 rounds of bullets, after which the ultras gave up and dispersed.
As the combing operation resumed the next day, the police busted a Maoist camp near the spot of encounter and seized four cartridges, axes, knives, steel utensils, plastic containers, solar panels, hand-written letters, Maoist literature, maps, a computer key-board, radios, 17 carry bags, six tarpaulins, torches, 46 types of medicines, 100 types of injections, plastic chairs, blankets and a few medical equipment.
Singh added that movement of ultras inside the jungles of Biramitrapur in Sundargarh district, Ullunda in Subarnapur district and Meghapal in Sambalpur district has been stopped after extensive combing operations, forcing Maoists to take the route from Saranda jungle in Jharkhand to Kalahandi via Deogarh-Sambalpur-Angul-Boudh.
The SP further said there is no link between Maoist leader Kunu Dehury, who is said to be active in Laxmipur forest of Angul district, and Besra. The Centre has announced Rs 5 lakh award was for information related to Dehury.
PNN
