Bhubaneswar: In a significant breakthrough in anti-Maoist operations, security forces on June 22 recovered a major Maoist arms and explosives dump from the dense forests of Baipariguda in Odisha’s Koraput district. The recovery, made on the basis of intelligence provided by a surrendered Maoist, is being viewed as another major setback to Maoist activities in the region.
The operation highlights the continuing efforts of security agencies to dismantle the remnants of Maoist infrastructure even after Odisha successfully achieved its objective of eliminating active Maoist influence from several insurgency-affected districts.
Intelligence-Led Operation at Badali Hill
According to police officials, the hidden cache was located at Badali Hill during a joint search operation conducted by personnel of the District Voluntary Force (DVF), Special Operations Group (SOG), and Koraput Police. Acting on specific intelligence gathered during the interrogation of a surrendered Maoist cadre, the joint team launched an early morning search operation in the forested area near the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border, close to the Nangur police limits of Bastar district.
After an extensive search, security personnel discovered a concealed Maoist dump containing a substantial quantity of arms, ammunition, and explosive materials believed to have been hidden by Maoist cadres several years ago.
Weapons and Explosives Recovered
Police sources said the recovered cache included one INSAS rifle, six country-made firearms, a claymore mine, and several Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Security officials suspect that the seized materials belonged to cadres of the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), one of the most active Maoist formations that operated across the tri-junction region of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh.
Investigators believe the weapons and explosives were stored for potential attacks on security forces and civilians in the region.
Sixth Maoist Dump Recovered in 15 Days
The latest seizure marks the sixth major Maoist dump unearthed in Odisha within the last fortnight. During the past 15 days, security forces have recovered two Maoist caches in Kandhamal district, two in Malkangiri district, one in Rayagada district, and the latest one in Koraput.
Officials said the series of recoveries reflects the success of sustained intelligence gathering and coordinated anti-insurgency operations across former Maoist strongholds.
Koraput’s Maoist-Free Status Reinforced
The recovery is particularly noteworthy as Koraput district had recently achieved its target of becoming Maoist-free by March 31, in line with the Union Government’s broader strategy to eliminate Maoism from affected regions. Between January 2025 and March 2026, one Maoist cadre was arrested while another surrendered before security agencies in the district.
Despite the significant decline in Maoist activities, security forces continue to conduct regular combing and area domination operations to ensure that no dormant extremist infrastructure remains active in remote forest regions.
Security Forces Intensify Search Operations
Addressing the media, Koraput Superintendent of Police Rohit Verma said the recovery was the result of actionable intelligence obtained from surrendered Maoists and demonstrated the effectiveness of ongoing anti-Maoist operations.
He stated that security forces have intensified combing operations in the surrounding forest areas to ascertain whether additional arms dumps remain concealed. Authorities are also investigating the origin of the seized materials and examining possible links to residual extremist networks operating in the Odisha-Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh tri-junction region.
Officials emphasised that the continued discovery of hidden Maoist caches underscores both the long-term threat posed by leftover extremist infrastructure and the determination of security forces to eliminate it completely.
The latest operation is expected to further strengthen efforts aimed at ensuring lasting peace, security, and stability in Koraput and other former Maoist-affected districts of Odisha, while preventing any possibility of extremist resurgence in the region.
