Munger: Security forces on Saturday destroyed a regional headquarters of Maoists and arrested three rebels besides recovering a huge cache of arms in Bhimbandh forest area in this district.
After getting intelligence inputs about the presence of East Bihar North Jharkhand (EBNJ) headquarters of Maoists in the forest, CRPF and police had launched a joint operation on February 17, Munger Deputy Inspector General (DIG) S P Shukla said.
Terming it a "major success" in the fight against Maoists, Shukla said the headquarters was being controlled by most wanted leader Parvez Da.
"Our forces surrounded the entire Bhimbandh area, which is a difficult terrain due to hills and dense tropical forest, and zeroed-in on the headquarters during late hours yesterday.
Around 40 to 50 men and women Maoists were present there, but most of them managed to escape under cover of jungle and darkness.
"However, our forces arrested three of them," Shukla said.
The security forces seized a huge cache of explosives, including three litres of nitroglycerin, 60 Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), 5,000 metres of fuse wire, two bundles of cordex explosive wire, four walkie-talkies and some Maoist literature.
This is the first instance in the state that highly dangerous explosive like nitroglycerin has been recovered from Maoists, he said.
"The EBNJ headquarters of Maoists was being used to
provide training to recruits joining the Left Wing Extremism (LWE), Shukla said.
Training manuals and guides to assemble IEDs had been seized from there. The place was also being used to indoctrinate the youths, Shukla said.
"The seizure of nitroglycerin in a big amount is surprising. It is a very high quality explosive and would have given an edge to the Maoists in their violent activities," he said.
The DIG said recovery of medical kits and life-saving drugs pointed out towards full-fledged medical facilities being run at the headquarters.
A list of Maoists killed in encounters and security operations, and active in the area had also been recovered, and the police was studying it for further information.
Police forces from Munger, Lakhisarai and Jamui districts were also roped in the operation, which was led by Bihar Police SP (Operations) Naveen Kumar and CRPF Commandant PP Pradeep of 131st battalion, he said.
