CRPF chief vouches for more coordinated anti-Naxal operations

New Delhi: CRPF, the country’s mainstay security force for anti-Naxal operations, will undertake more coordinated offensives in the Maoist violence-affected states in order to flush out the ultras and create pressure on them to surrender. It is buoyed by the success of a four-day-long operation in several Naxal-hit states, which concluded recently, in which the security forces were mobilised in particular manner that led to recovery of a “good” quantity of arms and ammunition.[caption id=“attachment_1339121” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Looking to put more pressure on Maoists. Image courtesy PIB[/caption] “This was a good operation we concluded recently. We obtained a macro-picture of the activities in the Naxal-affected areas. The forces learnt many things and we also familiarised ourselves with some interior terrains that the Maoists regularly use to cross over from one state to the other. “There are going to be more such operations against the Naxals in the coming days,” said Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) chief Dilip Trivedi. The Director General (DG) of the country’s largest paramilitary force said the aim of such operations, in coordination with forces like BSF, ITBP and state police, is to keep a check on the activities of Maoists in areas where borders merge. Trivedi said the operation also tested the coordination among various security forces as also the ability of field commanders to mobilise thousands of personnel in one go across various states. Sources said while such offensives are good in terms of creating pressure on the ultras, they also make Naxal cadres consider surrender as an option. The security forces, for the first time, trekked the jungle route from South Bastar to Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh across Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh border as part of this operation. The jungle track is notorious as it is used by Maoist cadres to escape to other territories once the security forces exert pressure. This was the first time that the forces, both Central and from states, launched the joint operation to flush out Naxals from their hotbeds in interior jungle areas. Close to 40,000 personnel were deployed as part of this operation that began on 26 December, last year and there was no causality on the part of the forces barring some injuries. As part of the offensive, a total of 49 special operations were launched, out of which 27 were on inter-state borders while 22 involved a mix of units from various paramilitary forces. Around one lakh personnel from CRPF and other central forces have been tasked for anti-Maoist duties in Naxal-affected states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. PTI