Rourkela: A sharp increase in Maoist activities has been noticed in the OdishaJharkhand border areas, reports said Sunday. With the surge in the red rebels’ activities in West Singhbhum district, strict combing operations have been stepped up in the neighbouring state. As a result of which, the ultras are now heading towards Odisha. Nuagaon, Bishra, and Chandiposh areas of Sundargarh district are along the Odisha- Jharkhand border. To make their presence felt in the area, the ultras often engage in activities such as setting fire to the machines engaged in road works, collecting levies on bridge construction works, and also looting banks. There are also examples of Maoists killing policemen and security personnel in these areas.
Currently, due to the ongoing strict crackdown on the extremists at Chainbasa in Jharkhand and other bordering areas, the panicked ultras are taking advantage of the geographical position and fleeing to safer places through the densely forested areas in Odisha and Chhatisgarh. Consequently, a fearful environment has been prevailing in the border areas. Maoist organisations such as Marxist Communist Party, PLFI, and MCC have been active in the Odisha-Jharkhand border areas for the last two decades. Rourkela police and the CRPF had a tough time trying to bring them under control.
Some of the rebels even surrendered before the police after giving up their criminal activities. As per the information received from the CRPF, a combined force consisting of Chainbasa police, Cobra 209 batallion, Jharkhand Jaguar and 60, 157, 174, 197, 193, 07, and 26 battalions of the CRPF had started an Integrated Security Campaign since January 2023 to crack down on top Maoist leaders like Mishir Beshra, Anmol, Mochhu, Chaman, Ajay Mahato, Sagen Angaria, and Ashwin.
As the security forces have intensified combing operations, Maoists are now planting IED and tiffin bombs on the frontier forests and hilly roads. More than four persons have died and many have lost their limbs in the last five months when such stray explosives planted by the ultras go off. Also, security forces have defused over 300 tiffin bombs and IEDs through the help of bomb disposal squads.