Maoist leaders in Attapady firing identified

The Kerala police have intensified their operations to deter Maoists from establishing an armed presence in the expansive forested area known as the “Northern tri-junction” of the contiguous States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The ongoing anti-insurgent operations has gathered momentum after Maoists fired upon police commandos on a routine daytime patrol in Kadukamanna in Attapady on Sunday.

"Maoist action a tactical ploy"

The police viewed the Maoist action as a tactical ploy to project the message that they could wrest territorial control of the strategically important area with minimal numbers and at will. Their “high-profile direct action” was more for propagandist value.

For one, it would mean lesser State presence in the form of Forest, Excise and police officials in the remote localities.

The Maoist squad numbered less than six and could include one woman. The police have tentatively identified two of the suspects as Wayanad Soman and Attapadi Ayyappan.

Police commandos returned fire in the direction from which they believed the Maoists had unleashed their salvo of automatic assault rifle rounds.

The groups had scarce “visual of each other” because of the dense undergrowth and undulating terrain. None was injured.

Police theory

The police theory was that Maoists deemed the so called “Tri-Junction” strategically important for they supposed that the forested corridors offered them a less patrolled logistical link to their armed bases in North India, chiefly Jharkand.

The police said they now have an approximate estimate of the Maoist inventory of arms. Along with automatic assault rifles and pistols, the police said the insurgents also possessed workshop-grade anti-personnel weapons, chiefly remotely triggered landmines and wayside bombs.

The information has prompted the police to deploy specialists to detect and defuse mines.

The commandos have been issued night vision equipment. Aerial surveillance using drones would also be considered.

Kerala police and Maoists had last exchanged fire on December 7, 2014 near Kunjootu Chappan colony at Vellamundy in Mananthawady in Wayanad district.

The police had blamed members of the Kabani Dalam of the Western Ghats Zone Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for the attack.