Raipur: In a major counterinsurgency operation launched in Naxal stronghold Abujhmad under south Bastar in Chhattisgarh, security forces have destroyed several weapon making facilities run by Maoists, besides seizing their arms dumps.
The six-day operation, codenamed ‘Surya Shakti’, was launched in inter-district border areas of Kanker and Narayanpur falling under Abujhmad, a 4,000 sq km area extending from Bastar in Chhattisgarh to Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, on January 13 to flush out Maoists from the forested region, police said.
The operation that ended on Wednesday led to the uncovering of the Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL), arms and bomb making facilities run by Maoists in deep forests in Abujhmad.
“A BGL manufacturing unit and a bomb making facility of Maoists were found and destroyed by security forces during the anti-Naxal operation in Abujhmad area. A huge arms dump of Maoists was also recovered”, Bastar range inspector general of police P Sunderraj told this newspaper.
Lathe machines, iron pipes, drilling and punching machines used for manufacturing BGL were recovered and destroyed, he said.
Other seizures included bipod grenade launcher, four BGL shells, two air rifles, two muzzle-loading weapons, one 12-bore gun, three INSAS magazines, one telescope, two generators, nine bench clamping, drilling and punching machines and Maoist uniforms and literatures.
Joint search parties comprising personnel of special task force (STF), district reserve group (DRG), Border Security Force (BSF) launched operations at multiple places in the border areas of Kanker and Narayanpur districts, police said.
Several Maoist camps were destroyed during the anti-Naxal operation.
Encounters between security forces and Maoists were reported at two places, leading to arrest of four ultras, police said.
The arrested rebels were Ayatu Nureti (26), Suresh Nureti (25), Buddhuram Padda (25) and Manoj Hichami (22).
“This was the first time, security forces have launched a counterinsurgency operation in the particular Abujhmad area, declared as the liberated zone by Maoists' ', a senior Bastar police officer said.
Abujhmad, loosely translated as incomprehensible, is the only area of the country which has not been surveyed by the Government of India so far.
Police intelligence has sounded alerts that Abujhmad has been used as a safe haven by top Maoist leaders.
