Chhattisgarh: Five Maoists arrested with explosives in Sukma

Sukma, Aug 1 In a significant breakthrough for anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh, security forces arrested five active Maoist members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) and recovered a cache of explosives during a coordinated operation in Sukma district.

Acting on intelligence provided by a local informant, a joint team comprising personnel from the Chhattisgarh Police, the 74th and 226th Battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and led by the Station House Officer (SHO) of Jagargunda police station, launched a search operation in the dense forest near Achakat village on Thursday, the police official said.

According to officials, the suspects attempted to flee upon sensing the presence of security forces but were swiftly apprehended. The arrested individuals - identified as Hemla Pala (35), Hemla Hunga (35), Sodi Deva (25), Nuppo (20), and Kunjam Masa (28) - are residents of the Chintalnar region and were reportedly active in the Surpanguda area as part of the Jagargunda-Pamed area committee.

Recovered from their possession were two country-made barrel grenade launchers (BGL) shells, a tiffin bomb, seven gelatin rods, nine detonators, explosive powder, and other materials used in the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The arrests mark a notable success in the ongoing counter-insurgency campaign in Sukma, a district long affected by Maoist violence.

The operation underscores the intensified efforts by security forces to dismantle militant networks and ensure civilian safety in the Bastar region.

Further interrogation and investigation are underway to determine the extent of the suspects' involvement in previous attacks and to trace the supply chain of the recovered explosives.

A Maoist insurgent was killed and three District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel sustained injuries in a fierce gun battle between security forces and Naxalites in the forested region along the Sukma-Dantewada border on Tuesday.

Three days ago, a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF), DRG, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a search operation based on intelligence inputs regarding Maoist presence in the area. The operation, initiated on Monday, led to multiple exchanges of fire throughout July 29.

During the combing operation, security personnel recovered the body of a uniformed Maoist along with a substantial cache of arms, ammunition, and bomb-making materials. Items seized from the site include bullets, improvised explosive device (IED) components, and other tactical supplies used in insurgent activity.

Tragically, three DRG jawans were injured when a pressure-triggered IED planted by Maoists detonated during the operation. All injured personnel were promptly evacuated and transported to higher medical facilities.

According to attending doctors, their condition is stable and they are out of danger. This encounter adds to the growing tally of successful anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh, where over 225 Maoists have been neutralised this year.

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