Major explosives haul from Maoist hideout in Chhattisgarh

Bijapur (Chhattisgarh), Oct 14 (PTI) Security forces have recovered a huge cache of explosives and materials used in making barrel grenade launchers (BGLs) from a Maoist dump in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said on Tuesday.

In April-May this year, security forces carried out a 21-day major anti-Naxal operation on Karreguta hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, in which 31 Maoists were killed in separate encounters and around 35 firearms and 450 IEDs were seized.

On Monday, a joint team of personnel from various battalions of the CRPF, including its specialised CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) unit, launched a search operation from the Tadpala base camp in forests at the foot of Karreguta hills, a police official said.

During the search, the team found a large quantity of explosive materials and BGL-making equipment concealed by Maoists, he said.

The seized items include 51 live BGL shells, 100 bundles of HT aluminium wire, a large quantity of electric wire and 50 steel pipes, 20 iron sheets and 40 iron plates for BGL manufacturing, the official said.

The forces also detected and neutralised five pressure IEDs planted by Maoists to target security personnel, with the help of a Bomb Disposal Squad, he said.

The seizure successfully foiled the Maoists' plans, and all security personnel returned safely to base after completing search operations in the area, the official said.

Continuous patrolling and search operations are being conducted in the area, he added. PTI COR TKP GK