Security forces undertaking a massive combing operation since past three days succeeded in destroying two major Maoist camps, in West Bengal and Jharkhand on Thursday. The operation was carried out jointly by the central paramilitary forces and police of West Bengal and Jharkhand.
Bengal Police IG (law & order), Surajit Kar Purakayastha, said the camps unearthed by the forces were in Belpahari of West Midnapore district and Singbhum in Jharkhand. “Both the camps were major connecting points of the ultra-red guerrillas,” he said.
According to Purakayastha, locals at Belpahari and Singbhum cooperated well in tracking the two important Maoist camps. “We successfully influenced the locals, and they were of great help. Without their help, the task wouldn’t have been easy. Helicopters were used for aerial supervision during combing operation,” he said, but refused to spell out the number of casualties.
West Bengal chief secretary, Ashok Mohan Chakrabarty, has said combing operations will continue in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa. The preliminary task is to seek and destroy such connecting camps of Maoists in these three states after which the main phase of Operation Green Hunt would start, he said.
“The target of the joint forces is to restore rule of law in the areas dominated by ultras, and restore normalcy by ensuring the local people’s safety. Six additional companies of paramilitary personnel have arrived here on Thursday. This takes the total number of companies operating here to 24,” Chakrabarty said.
Comments