Hazaribagh, Oct 13 (IANS) — Security forces in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district have recovered a massive stockpile of weapons and Maoist-related items during a major joint operation along the Hazaribagh–Bokaro forest border, officials confirmed on Monday.
The raid, launched early in the morning by a combined team of the Hazaribagh district police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was based on specific intelligence indicating that a group of Maoists was camping in the dense forest area and preparing for a major offensive.
During the search, the forces uncovered two self-loading rifles (SLRs), multiple magazines, a substantial number of live cartridges, Maoist uniforms, backpacks, documents, and various other materials used by the insurgents.
Officials said the cache was concealed inside a makeshift shelter deep in the forest, believed to have been used as a temporary hideout by cadres of the CPI (Maoist). The rebels reportedly fled before the forces arrived, likely alerted by local informants or lookouts.
The seizure comes at a time when the Maoists are observing a ‘Resistance Week’ from October 8 to 14 to protest the deaths of several of their members in recent police encounters. Intelligence agencies had earlier cautioned that the group might attempt retaliatory attacks during this period.
Last month, a similar joint operation in the Barkatha–Gorhar area of Hazaribagh resulted in the deaths of three Maoists, including Sahdev Soren alias Pravesh, a top commander carrying a bounty of ₹1 crore.
Police officials said that ongoing coordinated actions between the state police and CRPF have significantly weakened Maoist presence in the region. “Due to continuous joint operations and improved coordination, Naxal activity in Hazaribagh, Chatra, and Bokaro has dropped sharply,” a senior officer stated.
Combing operations are continuing in the forested belts to locate remaining Maoist cadres and ensure the complete neutralization of their camps.
With inputs from IANS