BHUBANESWAR: Security forces on Wednesday seized a large quantity of explosives from an underground dump suspected to have been set up by Maoists in south Odisha’s Malkangiri district near the Andhra Pradesh border, police said.
The seizure was made by the Malkangiri’s District Voluntary Force in Dayaltung village under Kalimela police station.
Among the seized items are 190 gelatin sticks and several improvised explosive devices including one weighing 20kg, a senior Malkangiri police officer said. “It is suspected that these articles were made to target civilians and security forces. This is seen as a major jolt to the subversive and anti-national design of Maoists in this area,” the officer said.
Police suspect that the explosives dump was connected to the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) of the banned CPI (Maoists).
This is the second explosive dump of the Maoists to have been unearthed in Malkangiri since February this year when Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, who are deployed in the region, found three pressure cookers, 20 metres of Cordex, 24 gelatine sticks and 2 bundles of electric wire.
The district, once a hotbed of Maoist activities, has not reported any significant incidents over the last three years. Currently, Maoist activities are being reported from the districts of Kalahandi, Nuapada, Kalahandi and Boudh where the Maoists move in very small groups.
{{/usCountry}}The district, once a hotbed of Maoist activities, has not reported any significant incidents over the last three years. Currently, Maoist activities are being reported from the districts of Kalahandi, Nuapada, Kalahandi and Boudh where the Maoists move in very small groups.
{{/usCountry}}Wednesday’s discovery comes weeks ahead of Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state.
In 2019, 15 of the 540 polling booths in Malkangiri reported zero polling due to Maoist threats due to fear of retaliation by Maoists. Sanjukta Digal, a Gram Rozagar Sevak serving as a polling supervisor was also shot dead by Maoists in Kandhamal. For the upcoming elections, at least 11 BSF companies, seven companies of the Central Reserve Police Force, 15 platoons of the state police force and some units of the Special Operations Group will be stationed in the Kandhamal, the highest deployment of security forces for any district in the state.