JEYPORE: Security forces unearthed a major dump of arms, ammunition and explosives hidden in a forest of Koraput on Monday.
Acting on intelligence gathered during interrogation of surrendered Maoists, a joint search operation was launched by the District Voluntary Force (DVF) in Balipahad forest under Boipariguda police limits near the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border.
During the operation conducted at around 5.30 am, the search team recovered a substantial cache of weapons and explosive materials suspected to have been stockpiled by Maoist cadres for use against civilians and security personnel.
The seized items include one INSAS rifle, six country-made guns, a claymore mine weighing around 18 kg, a 10-kg tiffin bomb IED, six tiffin bomb IEDs weighing approximately four kg each, a Maoist kit bag, medicines and food supplies.
Police suspect that the recovered cache belonged to the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), a key Maoist formation operating in the region.
Police said the recovery highlights sustained efforts by security forces to dismantle underground Maoist infrastructure and prevent any resurgence of Left-Wing Extremism in the district.
Security forces have intensified combing and search operations across vulnerable forest pockets to trace hidden arms dumps and explosives. Police said such operations would continue to ensure lasting peace and security in the region.