In a breakthrough against left-wing extremism, security forces recovered and neutralised a stash of powerful explosives planted by CPI (Maoist) rebels in the dense forests of West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand on Monday.
The operation was launched early on Monday morning following precise intelligence received late on Sunday. A coordinated effort was carried out by personnel from the State Police, Jharkhand Jaguar, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
During the search operation, security forces discovered 16 potent Explosive-Activated Devices (EADs), each weighing around 2 kg, buried in the forest near the borders of Toklo and Dalbhanga.
Officials confirmed the explosives had been planted with the intent to target patrolling security teams and sabotage ongoing counterinsurgency operations.
Superintendent of Police, West Singhbhum, Rakesh Ranjan, said that the operation was based on reliable intelligence suggesting that a large cache of weapons and improvised explosive devices had been hidden by key members of the banned CPI (Maoist).
These include leaders such as Misir Besra, Anmol, Mochu, Anal, Asim Mandal, Ajay Mahato, Sagen Angaria, Ashwin, Pintu Lohara, Chandan Lohara, Amit Hansda alias Uptan, Jaikant, and Rapa Munda.
"The successful recovery and destruction of these explosives have prevented significant casualties. This was a deliberate attempt by Maoist groups to disrupt anti-Naxal operations and target security personnel with hidden IEDs," the SP said.
Once discovered, the explosives were safely deactivated by the Bomb Disposal Squad. Due to the high-risk nature of the operation, the explosives were neutralised on-site to ensure the safety of the team and to avoid any collateral damage.
According to police sources, the joint operation was carefully planned to cover the forested border regions of West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts. The teams entered the area during the early hours to avoid detection by Maoist lookouts.
Follow us
