A day after they blew up a Mine Protection Vehicle carrying some Central Reserve Police Force personnel, killing nine of them in Sukma district of south Chhattisgarh, the Maoists came back to the spot on Wednesday, fired in the air and again torched the same vehicle.
“By burning the same MPV again, they have tried to send a message that they are still present in that area,” said an officer involved in the operations in Bastar.
The Kistaram-Chintalnar axis, in southern Sukma district, is considered the core Maoist area or the “red zone” where the Maoists are dominant. A large number of security force camps have been set up on Dornapal-Chintalanar-Jagargunda axis and in the area bordering Telangana in the last few years which also includes the Kistaram camp. However, it is the Chintalnar-Kistaram-Bhejji axis which looks to be the target of the security agencies. Pelondi is the only camp, established recently, in this axis where the Maoists have a free run.
The security forces are also planning to establish one more camp in Pottakpalli village near Pelondi. Vivekanand Sinha, the Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) however, denied this and said, “But we have already established Pelondi camp and the Maoists are disturbed since we have entered their core area. They are frustrated and choosing soft targets,” Mr. Sinha told The Hindu .
The IG also said that the main target of the Maoists on Tuesday could have been the Sukma SP Abhishekh Meena who had crossed the spot just 15 minutes before the incident. An official posted in Jagdalpur, Bastar, said, “Whenever a new camp comes up, it affects their movement.”
