Govt increases CRPF deployment in Chhattisgarh to counter renewed Maoist activity

Sensing major ground movement in Chhattisgarh of Maoists desperate to attack after 15 of their comrades were gunned down by the security forces, the ministry of home affairs have deployed seven battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to the state after withdrawing them from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bengal and Bihar.

According to a recent letter of the MHA accessed by MyNation, seven CRPF battalions have been deployed in the areas of Chhattisgarh worst-hit by Maoist insurgency. The letter was written just a day before Independence Day.

Also read — Maoists rework strategy of direct clash with police after setbacks, focus on damaging public property

According to local intelligence, the Maoists are desperate to take revenge for the recent killing of 15 rebels in a joint operation. “They are desperate to attack the security forces and locals in retaliation to the recent Sukma encounter. More forces have been mobilised to control the law and order situation in the area. Almost 4,000 security personnel have been asked to report to Chhattisgarh immediately,” a senior CRPF official said.

The MHA has asked all four state governments (Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bengal and Bihar) to relieve the forces as soon as possible.

In a recent encounter that took place in a forest near Nalkatong village in Sukma, security forces eliminated 15 Maoists and recovered 16 firearms.

Also read — 15 Maoists killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma area; 16 weapons recovered

After the encounter, there were reports that the Maoists have undertaken a massive change in strategy and were focusing more on targeting the local public to create an atmosphere of fear in the area. “By targeting public directly or indirectly, the Maoists are trying to create pressure on the government and police. There is also an intelligence report that the Maoists may try to crack a major weapon deal,” the CRPF official added.

On August 7, an assistant commandant of CRPF’s elite CoBRA unit was injured in an IED blast triggered by the rebels in Sukma district. Apart from this, the locomotive of an empty rake of the Visakhapatnam-Kirandul passenger train was derailed after rebels uprooted railway tracks near the Kamaloor railway station in Dantewada on August 8. A group of armed ultras also torched two passenger buses and a truck in Dantewada.

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