The first phase of Operation Green Hunt, the country’s biggest anti-Maoist operation, concluded on Sunday morning.
The first phase of Operation Green Hunt, the country’s biggest anti-Maoist operation, concluded on Sunday morning after troopers from the elite CoBRA force, Central Reserve Police Force and state police destroyed a Maoist arms factory inside the dense forests of Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.
The Maoists have abandoned their posts and retreated deeper into the forest after the onslaught, which started on September 17. The jawans have seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition.
While no casualty was reported on Sunday morning, the Maoists are suspected to have lost 30 to 35 of their cadre in the operation.
Nine bodies have been recovered and the police believe more bodies are lying scattered in the forested areas of Chinta, Gufa and Krishram.
The bodies of six jawans, including two assistant commanders, who died in the operation were flown to Raipur by a special helicopter on Sunday and later sent to their villages.
Around 800 jawans were involved in the operation.
Police sources said another operation would be launched shortly, based on intelligence inputs.
“This operation will be secret,’’ a senior police officer of Chhattisgarh said.
The Orissa police have sounded high alert in the districts close to Chhattisgarh. Fearing a spillover of Maoists from the state, the government has requested the Centre to dispatch seven battalions of paramilitary forces immediately.
“We are very much concerned about the anti-Maoist operation going on in neighbouring Chhattisgarh,” said Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
Inspector-general (operations) Sanjeev Marik said Green Hunt was a long strategic war against the Maoists. “It will go on phase-wise.”
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