New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday said Maoists were trying to set up bases in Assam and termed the killing of four hardcore rebels in an encounter in the state as a big blow to them.
"The Maoists are trying to set up bases in Assam. This encounter would certainly halt their operations and hamper their activities in a big way," Union Home Secretary R K Singh told reporters here.
Singh was reacting to the reports of killing of four Naxals in their first-ever encounter with Assam police in the state`s Tinsukia district today.
"This is a good job done by the Assam Police," he said.
Addressing the Chief Ministers` conference on internal security on April 16, Home Minister P Chidambaram had said Assam emerged as the new theatre of Maoist activity and there were also inputs about links of CPI (Maoist) with insurgent groups in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
PTI
