A huge cache of explosives was recovered from Lahan Asthan in Gaya during a joint search operation by personnel of a CoBRA battalion and CRPF. The cache included 26 ‘pressure cooker’ bombs — each weighing 3kg — 78 pipe bombs and a large number of packets containing petroleum jelly and potassium nitrate.

The operation was carried out after Maoists triggered serial blasts between Kothilwa and Lahan Asthan on Tuesday. Dumaria station house officer Awadhesh Kumar said Maoists had planted bombs at all possible places through which the jawans were likely to travel.