RAIPUR: In the conflict-ridden south Chhattisgarh’s Bastar zone, the left-wing extremists continue their attacks often looking for soft targets. And after the casualties, the Maoists’ actions are cited as ‘cowardly’. For the guerrilla warfare experts, the fact remains that the “cowards” succeeded after securing inputs from their local intelligence network in effectively executing an ambush, killing 10 personnel of Dantewada District Reserve Guards (DRG) at Aranpur on April 26. The guerrillas are known to strike the stronger enemy at its weak point.
The rebels, apparently pushed on a back-foot, might have led the jawans to presume the location as a “safe zone” that resulted into human cost in the “avoidable” attack. “You may call them cowards but they won and achieved their intended goal in the guerrilla battle, inflicting casualties registering their strong presence. Their compelling local intelligence network worked”, said a guerrilla warfare expert who questioned the missing effective leadership to monitor the standard operating procedures (SOPs) being followed till the entire operation concludes.
On a tip-off, the DRG personnel were over 60 km away from Dantewada district in a three-day operation against the Maoists last week. The inputs on vehicles arranged for their (DRG) return to headquarters possibly reached the rebels who have undercover informants and surreptitiously rushed to bring off the plan of action, he added.
The surprise attack from a concealed position by Maoists also raised questions on the missing Road Opening Party (ROP) along the route prior to the returning of the DRG personnel in private vehicles.
The return journey after the operations remains crucial and sensitive in the red zone and it is a key lesson specified in the jungle warfare technique, the experts averred. The Bastar range IGP Sundarraj P said such tragedy could have been averted had the return been undertaken after the sunset.