Security forces in Chhattisgarh have seized a large cache of Maoist weapons, ammunition, and explosives, intensifying efforts to clear the region of Maoist presence.
Security forces have recovered 50 firearms and a huge cache of ammunition as well as explosive material from Maoist dumps concealed in the forests of Chhattisgarh's Kanker district over the last one-and-a-half-month, police said on Friday.
After Chhattisgarh was declared free from armed Maoist presence on March 31, security forces intensified search operations across the Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Kanker, to trace cash, weapons and explosives hidden by Maoists in the past, officials said.
Between April 1 and May 14, personnel from the district police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, and Border Security Force (BSF) carried out intensive search and area domination operations in remote and sensitive areas of Kanker, said Kanker Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha.
Security personnel recovered 50 weapons, ammunition, explosive materials and items of daily use from different dumps Maoists had concealed in forests, the officer said.
The seized weapons include one 7.62 mm SLR LMG (Self Loading Rifle- Light Machine Gun), one 5.56 mm LMG, five .303 rifles, eleven single-shot country-made guns, eight BGL (Barrel Grenade Launcher), five muzzle-loading guns, fifteen single-shot 12-bore guns, two 12-bore country-made pistols, one .315 bore gun and one 7.65 mm pistol, he said.
Ten cooker bombs, one arrow bomb, 469 cartridges, thirty-four BGL shells, 46 kg of explosives/gunpowder, four walkie-talkies and one small gas welding machine are among other recovered items, he said.
On May 13, police had said security forces recovered more than Rs 65 lakh in cash, 32 firearms, ammunition, explosive materials and items of daily use from Maoist dumps in forests of Bijapur district over the last two weeks.
Similarly, more than Rs 1 crore in cash, 28 weapons, live rounds, explosive materials and items of daily use were recovered from Maoist dumps in Narayanpur district during a month-long operation by security forces, police had said on May 12.