In a counter-insurgency operation, Maharashtra police on Monday, May 13, neutralised up to three Maoists after a gunfight near Katrangatta village in the Bhamragarh block of the Gadchiroli district.
The police initiated the operation upon receiving information about the existence of a Maoist group associated with the banned CPI Maoist’s Perimilli Dalam. Upon receiving the information, two units of the C-60 Commandos, a specialised counter-insurgency unit of the Maharashtra police, were dispatched towards Bhamragarh.
An exchange of fire broke out between the forces and the Maoist when the team of the C-60 commandos were combing in the said area. The gunfight resulted in killing of three Maoist including two female cadres of the proscribed outfit.
After the gunfight stopped, the security forces recovered body of a male Maoist along with two others. The male Maoist killed in the action has been identified as Vasu, commander of the Perimilli Dalam. The forces have also recovered an AK-47, SLR rifle and Maoist literature from the site of encounter.
The Maoist group were planning to carry out subversive activities as part of their ongoing Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC), according to Superintendent of Police, Gadchiroli, Neelotpal.
Back-to-back operations in Maoist strongholds
It must be noted that the encounter occurred on Monday following a massive operation of the security forces in the Bijapur district of neighbouring Chhattisgarh on May 10, which resulted in the neutralisation of as many as 12 cadres of the outlawed group.
Earlier, in another major operation launched near the interstate border of Mahrashtra-Chhattisgarh, a joint team of security forces had also gunned down a total of 10 Maoist following an exchange of fire between the forces and the outlaws near Tekmeta forest area of Abujhmaad on April 30.
Surrounded by dense forests and unexplored terrain, the Abujhmaad or Maad region is considered a safe haven for the Maoist for long , region provides a safe passage to the Maoist to the Gadchiroli district of Mharashtra, another strong bastion of the outlaws for decades. However the forces in recent times have tightened their hold on the region which has resulted in successful operations against the proscribed outfit.
