MALKANGIRI/VISAKHAPATNAM:A joint squad of AP Greyhounds and Special Operation Group (SOG) on Monday ran over a large camp of the CPI (Maoist) near Tikarpadu under Jodamba panchayat of Chitrakonda police limits in the cut-off areas of Malkangiri district.Following an intense exchange of fire, the elite forces of the two States detected the Maoist camp. A cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the spot.
Odisha Police sources said there were about 50 Maoists in the camp who escaped taking advantage of the dense forests. Top Maoist leader Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramakrishna (RK) , Uday and other leaders are believed to have been present in the camp. No casualties have been reported during the exchange of fire.
This is for the second time the AP and Odisha police managed to detect a big unit of the Left ultras after Ramgarh encounter in 2016 when about 30 Maoists were killed in a joint operation.Police suspect that top cadres of Maoists had gathered at the camp to chalk out their strategy and future course of action.
After the inter-State coordination meeting earlier this month, both Odisha and AP had decided to scale up offensive in the cut-off areas of Malkangiri.Police sources said the joint squad approached the spot from AP side since it was difficult to carry out the combing from Chitrakonda reservoir which would have exposed the security forces to the Maoists.During the search, Maoists opened fire at the police party which retaliated. After the exchange of fire, arms and ammunition were seized.
AP Police sources said a number of members are believed to be from Chhattisgarh and the camp was held to focus on recruitment. “The presence of Chhattisgarh cadre reveals that they may be imparting training. The CPI (Maoist) is now trying to regain strength by inducting Chhattisgarh cadre since local recruitment has dried up,” said a senior police officer from Visakhapatnam district on condition of anonymity.
In the 2016 encounter at Ramgarh, Ramakrishna had sustained bullet injuries in his leg. The huge casualties in the fire exchange left the Maoists considerably weakened and they been trying to gain ground since then.From the camp, the security forces found tiffin box mines, 45 kit bags, two muzzle loaded single barrel guns, ammunition of INSAS, AK-47, 303, 9 mm carbine magazine, 16 detonators and one explosive slurry.
War on Red terror
There were about 50 Maoists in the camp who escaped taking advantage of the dense forests
Top Maoist leader Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramakrishna (RK) , Uday and other leaders are believed to have been present in the camp
Police suspect that top cadres of Maoists had gathered at the camp to chalk out their strategy and future course of action
A number of members are believed to be from Chhattisgarh and the camp was held to focus on recruitment
Security forces found tiffin box mines, 45 kit bags, two muzzle loaded single barrel guns, ammunition of INSAS, AK-47, 303, 9 mm carbine magazine, 16 detonators and one explosive slurry from the camp