Bhubaneswar: Security personnel on Monday unearthed a Maoist dump in Odisha's Rayagada district and recovered three land mines totally weighing 50 kg, along with several other items, police said.
Based on a tip-off, a joint team of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and district voluntary forces raided the Kharikuti forests within the limits of Gudari police station, and spotted the dump, District Superintendent of Police Rajesh Pandit told a news agency.
"The dump was covered with sand. With the help of a bomb disposal squad, we recovered three land mines, two weighing 20 kg each and another weighing 10 kg," he said.
"Among other items recovered from the spot were 44 electronic detonators and a Maoist banner," he added.
Maoists are active in more than half the state's 30 districts. Rayagada district, about 400 km from here, is considered a Maoist stronghold.
This was the second dump the security forces unearthed in the area this month. On January 23, several arms and explosives including one country-made hand grenade, one claymore bomb weighing half kg, 21 detonators, and a land mine weighing six kg were recovered from a dump near Gadargudi village in the same district, the police officer said.
IANS
First Published: Monday, January 28, 2013, 23:53