RAIPUR: In yet another aggressive push against the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in Chhattisgarh, a training camp with built-in thriving drill techniques adopted by the ultras was captured by the security forces at remote Bhattiguda village in an edgy Bijapur district, about 420 km south of Raipur.
A joint team of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA—an elite unit of CRPF) personnel belonging to battalion 201, 204 and 210 had set out in an anti-Maoist campaign on Wednesday. The troops after stretching out at the epicentre of the left-wing extremists, lashed out at their training camp and took its possession.
The Maoists, who had constructed barrack-like structures at the site, fled before the forces arrived.
“The training camp built with an attempt to follow the modern pattern was traced in the core area of the armed cadres of military wing Peoples' Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) of Maoists belonging to their battalion No-1, in the forested terrain for the Battiguda. A Shaheed Smarak (memorial pillar) and concrete structure in the area were also destroyed by the forces at the scene”, a police officer in Bijapur said.
The Maoists usually build Shaheed Smaraks in honour of their dead leaders and cadres to create an impression about their contributions among the masses in the area having their presence.
"The rebels had also utilized nearby large trees, built trenches, and created other resources to aid in the training of their cadres," the officer added.
The operation sends a strong message to the Maoists that not only will the ongoing battle continue, but their illegal activities will no longer be tolerated.
Bijapur is one of the seven Maoist-affected districts in the conflict-prone Bastar region.