The Chhattisgarh Police have busted a hideout of Naxalites and recovered three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Gariaband district on Friday, an official said.
The police made recoveries from a forest under Shobha police station area. The police official further said that they recovered IEDs and found a hideout while a police team was out on a search operation along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha inter-state border. Acting on a tip-off about the movement of Naxalites, the operation was launched in the forests of Kodomali, Ichradi, Gariba and Sahbinkachhar villages, he said.
Upon sensing the presence of security personnel, Naxalites managed to escape leaving behind their belongings, he added. As per officials, their belongings included one tiffin bomb, two cooker bombs that were planted beneath the earth and items of daily use.
The three explosives weighed three kilograms each and were later neutralised by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS). Notably, the Naxalites often plant explosives to target security forces during anti-Naxal operations in the area, he said.
The latest development comes amid the frequent face-offs between the Naxalites and security forces in the state.
Recent encounters
Earlier on May 13, 14 Naxalites were arrested from the forests of Mutvendi and Pidia villages under Gangaloor police station limits by a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Bijapur police.
These extremists included six women and eight men and were part of the outlawed Left Wing movement's 'military company number 2' and 'Gangaloor area committee'. 11 of the nabbed Naxalites carried a cumulative bounty of Rs. 41 lakh over their head.
Before that, on May 10, the security forces had gunned 12 Naxalites down in a 12-hour long operation in the forests of Pidia village and had rounded up several persons from the site on suspicion.
While many Naxalites have been either killed or arrested there are many others who dropped their weapons and surrendered to security forces in a bid to return to the mainstream. Significantly, 761 Naxalites, including 177 carrying cash rewards on their heads, have joined the mainstream in Dantewada district alone, under the police's 'Lon Varratu' (return to your home/village) campaign launched in June 2020.
(With PTI Inputs)
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