275 IEDs, country-made rocket launchers recovered from Maoist hideouts in Patna

Police also recovered rifles - including an assault weapon rifle and a country-made gun, 380 live cartridges, a wireless set, six hand grenades, pistols and five magazines.

In a major crackdown, a special operations team of the CRPF’s Cobra Battalion, STF, and district police have recovered 275 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), 25 cane bombs, a country made rocket launcher and other equipment from Maoists’ hideouts at Aurangabad district in Patna, police said on Wednesday.

The joint operation was carried out on Chakarbandha forest. (File image)

Security forces had launched an anti-Maoists drive since the past one week and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunitions. Police recovered an assault rifle, SLR, country made rifle, DBBL gun, two UBGL, 380 live cartridges, wireless set, six hand grenades, pistols and five magazines so far. However, no arrest has been made in this connection so far.

The operation which was carried out on the basis of specific inputs that led to prompt and timely action by the joint operation further foiling the nefarious plans of Maoists in the area. A senior police officer said there was information about the presence of members of a militant outfit in the forest, and investigation is underway.

“We believe they were planning something sinister with the explosives, which were recovered and defused in time,” he said.

Aurangabad SP Kantesh Kumar Mishra told HT that the joint operation was carried out on Chakarbandha forest and hilly area falling under Madanpur police station located on the district’s border with the Gaya.

The CRPF’s bomb disposal squad reached the spot and defused the explosives on Wednesday morning. Mishra said that the IEDs and Cane bombs were planted by Maoist guerrillas to target the security forces. Police have intensified combing and area domination exercises in the region to uncover more such Naxal hideouts, if any, police added.