KHAMMAM: Eerie silence prevails along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border after the Maoists killed five policemen by blowing up a bus in which they were travelling at Naryanapur district in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. The policemen, who are on combing duty, are moving in the area with extreme caution as it is quite possible that ultras may have planted more land mines and booby traps.
The forces who are combing the jungles after the Naryanapur outrage, are looking for similar death traps, with the Tuesday’s pogrom still fresh in their minds.According to police officials, Maoists have planted land mines in a number places and avoiding them as they comb the area is a tough challenge. “Despite the treacherous terrain with hidden explosives, we have to move about looking for the ultras,” one officer said. What is causing concern is that their equipment falters now and then when it comes to detecting sophisticated booby traps.
After Narayanapur carnage, Telangana police forces have been asked not to lower their guard at any time but remain alert round the clock, as there no way of knowing how the enemy would strike.More than 1,000 CRPF personnel, about 600 greyhounds forces and more than 500 special party police from Telangana have fanned out, looking for the ultras along the border.
As Telangana greyhounds have acquired expertise in decimating the Maoists, they are being used exclusively to deal with the Maoists along the border. They are the first contingent to rush to any place, on receipt of any input about the activity of the Maoists. For regular combing without specific intel, it is usually the CRPF forces who are deployed.
According to sources, the Chhattisgarh government has set up 15 CRPF base camps along its border with Telangana to restrict the movement of Maoists in between the two States. Each base camp has 300 to 500 personnel, who work in shifts.
Till date this year, the Telangana police have seized 1,250 detonators, 480 gelatin sticks and about 110 booby traps in Cherla and Dummagudem mandals. They have also arrested 15 Maoists while four other ultras have surrendered. The police have defused land mines in Kaliveru, Chennapuram, Yarrampadu, Battigudem, Tegada, Pedamidisileru, Tippapuram, Kurnavalli in Cherla mandal and at some places in Dummagudem mandal.
One police official working in the agency area said: “We are always careful about land mines, but we are not lucky all the time.” Stressing that no matter how careful one is, the official said one cannot do anything if their luck ran out. He said: “We have intel that Maoists have planted tiffin box and bucket bombs at several places in the forest area where our forces are engaged in combing,” he said. Bhadrachalam ASP Dr Vineet G said, “We are ready to face anything. We are going after the Maoists while taking precautions.”