Keonjhar, April 10 (Odisha.in) Security forces on Sunday destroyed a Maoist training camp in a forested hilly area of Orissa’s mineral rich Keonjhar district and recovered a huge quantity of explosives from the site, police said.
Acting on a tip off a joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), district voluntary force and local police raided the camp at Lipingdihi hill under Daitari police station area, district superintendent of police A.K.Singh told Odisha.in.
He said though no exchange of fire took place as the rebels sneaked into the nearby forest, at least 72 detonators, seven explosive sticks, some kitbags, one GPS equipment was recovered from the site, he said.
The raiding team also recovered several other items which included medicines, thermometers, batteries, he said adding that the attempts by the rebels to trigger blast during the raid was also foiled.
“The security forces diffused a least two land mine the rebels had planted near the camp” he said adding the camp was however destroyed after the recovery of the explosives and other items.
According to official statistics at least 700 Maoists are active in more then half of Orissa.
The guerillas had abducted a junior engineer and an Indian administrative service officer in Malkangiri district on Feb16 and released them on Feb 23 and Feb 24 respectively after the state government succumbed to several of their demands.
Although there was no major Maoist violence reported from any part of the state since then, the latest development has indicted that they are very much active and are regrouping, a senior state police official said.
Odisha.in
