The inter-State anti-naxal operations along the Jharkhand-West Bengal border has led to unearthing of administrative and military unit of the Naxals.
The operation, which started on Tuesday evening, is a result of several months of planning, and is being lead by over 4,000 central forces including the Special Action Force of the CRPF, besides the local police of the two States.
Official sources said the operation is concentrating on the forests of Chaibasa and plans to secure the porous border areas, which have a strong presence of naxals.
During the strike on Wednesday, the forces came across a training camp in the forests besides cooked food and utensils for nearly 200 naxals.
Also, recovered were large quantity of medicines and a well laid out water pipeline for the camp. Naxal literature was also seized.
“The lay out of the area shows that one part was being used for training and the other was for administration,” a source said.
The forces, armed with modern assault rifles, GPS, satellite phones and assisted by helicopters for aerial survey, have been divided into various formations.
Sources said, about 2,300 personnel of central forces are operating from West Bengal side whereas about 2,100 personnel are taking part in the joint operation from Jharkhand side.
The operation in both States is being led by the state police forces, they said, adding this is the first time that an operation of this kind has been undertaken.
While the Centre has already moved over 60,000 personnel to naxal-hit States over the last few months, the operation till now was only intra-State.
The first state where the operation was initiated was Chhattisgarh followed by Maharashtra. In Chhattisgarh, the anti-naxal operation has been named ‘Operation Greenhunt’
As per the plan, all areas taken back from the clutches of the Naxals by the frontal formation of the combined forces would be taken over by smaller formations of the forces while the rest move ahead.
The Centre along with the States then plans to initiate development work in the captured areas.
