Jagdalpur: Security forces have intensified anti-Maoist operations across various parts of Bastar, leading to the recovery of weapons, explosives, IED-making materials and other supplies concealed by Maoists in forested areas of Bijapur and Kondagaon districts.
The recoveries were made during separate search and demining operations conducted on September 5 and 6, respectively, as security agencies continued efforts to detect and neutralise hidden Maoist dumps suspected to have been intended for use against security personnel.
CRPF Recovers 14 Maoist Dumps in Bijapur
As part of the ongoing anti-Maoist campaign, the 199th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) carried out a major search operation in Bijapur district on September 5.
Acting on credible intelligence inputs, a joint team launched an intensive search operation in the dense forests around Edri, Harra, Nayapara and Sarpanch Para in the Pidiya and Kuppaguda areas.
During the operation, security personnel located and recovered 14 separate Maoist dumps concealed at different locations inside the forest. The recovered material included firearms, explosives, detonators, IEDs, communication equipment, and other articles believed to have been used by Maoist cadres. The operation was conducted under the guidance of 199th Battalion Commandant Anand Kumar and the supervision of Deputy Commandant Darshan Yadav.
The B/199 Company and Young Platoon were led by Inspector Ajit Kumar Deka, while the F/199 Company was led by Inspector Neeraj Kumar. Security personnel cordoned off the area and conducted the search in a systematic and phased manner.
Rifles, IEDs and Explosive-Making Material Seized
According to the security forces, the recovered material included one .303 bolt-action rifle, five locally manufactured muzzle-loading rifles and one 12-bore country-made rifle.
The teams also recovered eight detonators and 10 IEDs, along with a wireless communication set without a battery, four plastic containers and three large steel containers.
Other items included codex wire, electrical components and materials reportedly used in the fabrication of IEDs, as well as Maoist clothing. In total, 99 different types of materials were recovered from the dumps.
Security officials said the material had allegedly been concealed at different locations with the intention of causing harm to security personnel during future operations.
Forest Areas Previously Considered Maoist Strongholds
The forests around Edri, Harra, Pidiya and Kuppaguda have previously been considered sensitive from the perspective of Maoist activities. Officials said sustained anti-Maoist operations by the 199th CRPF Battalion have helped put pressure on Maoist activities in the region and have contributed to strengthening the sense of security among local residents.
The latest recovery is also being viewed as part of the continuing efforts by security agencies to identify hidden arms and logistics networks used by Maoist groups operating in the Bastar region.
Major Recovery in Kondagaon
In a separate operation on September 6, security forces recovered a substantial quantity of explosives, a pistol and other Maoist-related materials from a forested and hilly area of Kondagaon district. The operation was jointly conducted by the Naxal Cell, District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters and Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) teams.
Kondagaon Superintendent of Police Pankaj Chandra confirmed the recovery. The search operation was launched on the basis of information provided by surrendered Maoists. Acting on the inputs, the joint team conducted a demining and search operation in the forest and hill areas around Kormel and Puspal Mokhamari villages under the jurisdiction of Mardapal police station.
30 Kg of Explosives and 9 mm Pistol Recovered
During the operation, security personnel recovered 10 kg of tiffin IEDs, a 9 mm pistol and 20 kg of gelatin explosives, besides a large quantity of other Maoist dump material. The BDS team destroyed the 10-kg tiffin IED at the spot as a precautionary measure to eliminate any potential threat.
The recovered material included three tiffin bombs weighing around 10 kg in total, 160 gelatin sticks weighing approximately 20 kg, one electric detonator and 19 non-electric detonators.
The team also seized one 9 mm pistol with a blue cover and grip, six walkie-talkies, six antenna-equipped chargers and handsets, 40 commercial detonators, four bundles of electric wire, one metre of safety fuse and approximately five metres of red Cardex wire.
Other recovered articles included a 33-inch-long iron pipe, measuring approximately 9.5 inches in circumference, and around 5 kg of green polythene.
Anti-Maoist Operations to Continue
Security agencies said search operations aimed at locating concealed weapons, IEDs and other Maoist supplies would continue across vulnerable areas of Bastar.
Commandant Anand Kumar said the 199th CRPF Battalion remains committed to protecting civilians, maintaining peace and creating a secure environment for development in the region. He said operations would continue to be conducted more effectively on the basis of credible intelligence inputs, with the broader objective of contributing to the government’s efforts to make the region completely free of Maoist violence.
