The Orissa government attributed on Tuesday the Maoist attack in Malkangiri on a contingent of an elite anti-naxal force to a tactical “error” by the unit.
BHUBANESHWAR: The Orissa government attributed on Tuesday the Maoist attack in Malkangiri on a contingent of an elite anti-naxal force to a tactical “error” by the unit.
State home secretary TK Mishra said the attack could have been avoided had the jawans either not taken the water route or sailed in groups.
Stating that one more Greyhound jawan was rescued from the forests near Balimela reservoir on Tuesday morning, Mishra told reporters the incident resulted after the tactical “blunder” which made the vessel an easy target for Maoists.
“It was a blunder on the part of the people who sailed in one boat instead of in splits,” Mishra said, adding that the jawans (Greyhound) also violated their own guidelines which suggest avoidance of water route while moving for a combing operation.
Denying that the boat was overloaded, Mishra said the timing of the journey was also faulty.
“They began journey at 8.45 am which was not suitable for undertaking movement in highly naxal-infested areas,” he said, adding that the jawans could have started early in the morning.
Rejecting allegations that Orissa Police, which arranged one boat for ferrying the jawans, was responsible for Sunday’s incident, Mishra said, “We simply assist them. Greyhound authorities take decisions during joint operations.”
He made it clear that Orissa Police only provide logistic support and information whenever the Greyhound force came for joint operations in the state.
According to figures given by Mishra, 35 persons were still missing after rescue of 30 people and recovery of one body.
Naval divers and security personnel continued to scour the reservoir on the Orissa-Andhra Pradesh border for the 35 missing.
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