Ranchi: A major drive has been launched against Maoist guerrillas in five districts of West Bengal and Jharkhand, and Orissa will soon join the campaign, a senior officer said Thursday.
An unspecified number of police and paramilitary personnel are pursuing the guerrillas in the coordinated operation called Green Hunt that began three days ago, the officer told reporters on condition of anonymity.
"Initially, the operation was kept a secret," the officer said.
"The operation has been launched in five bordering districts. The paramilitary forces and state police are sanitising the jungle areas. Some landmines have been recovered and four Maoist camps have been destroyed."
"The operation has air surveillance. Security forces have made a makeshift helipad in Saranda jungle area (in Jharkhand)," the officer added.
In Jharkhand, the operations are going on in three places. In West Bengal, the Maoists are being chased in Purulia and West Midnapore districts.
"The move is to zero in on Maoists in bordering areas," said the officer. Orissa would join the campaign soon, he added.
Besides the 14 companies of para-military forces,
personnel of Jharkhand JAGUAR and COBRA had been deployed to
track and bust Maoist hideouts, he said.
The operation was launched two days after the Chief
Minister, Shibu Soren told the state assembly that his
government would fully cooperate with the Centre's move to
eliminate the Maoists.
He, however, parried questions whether it was 'Operation
Green Hunt'.
Vijay Raman, the special director general of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Wednesday met the Jharkhand police chief here to reportedly discuss the inter-state operations against Maoists.
On Feb 9, Home Minister P. Chidamabram met the chief ministers and top officials of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa, reportedly to give a final shape to the anti-Maoist drive.
IANS
First Published: Thursday, March 11, 2010, 21:34