Security forces engaged in anti-Naxal operations in various states, including Chhattisgarh, have decided to get different variants of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ranging from small drones to long-range surveillance ones. Forces deployed in Maoist hotbeds of the country have recently begun to pick up ground conversation, movement and pictures with the help of these devices. Authorities say they are handy in cases where quick information is needed.
The country's largest paramilitary force -- the Central Reserve Police Force -- is literally going to 'school' as the force has recently created six new institutions to hone the operational and intelligence gathering skills of its troops.
The Naxals fled from the spot after a prolonged gunfight.
The recent Central Reserve Police Force encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district is part of the latest plan of the force to conduct "big sweep" operations in uncharted Naxal hotbeds of the country in order to liberate them from the clutches of 'red' ultras.
Jha, a fearless officer of the country's largest paramilitary force, led a lethal anti-Naxal operation on July 3 last year in Jamui district of Bihar.
Bracing to tackle the deadly Malarial parasite which has claimed the lives of a number of CRPF jawans, the force has begun dispatching consignments of medicines and repellents to its troops deployed for anti-Naxal operations in various states.
A Maoist camp was busted and a cache of ammunition and explosive material recovered from the forests of Katulbharora in Chhattisgarh, police said on Friday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed all central armed police forces to compile three-year data and inform his ministry if their jawans and officers are utilising their stipulated leaves as part of his ambitious proposal that aims at allowing troops spend at least 100 days with their families in a year, officials said on Thursday.
Karnataka government on Saturday announced a week-long ceasefire from Monday in anti-Naxal operations to facilitate surrender of Maoists, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said.
Four policemen were injured in an attack by Naxals, who first triggered a landmine blast and then opened fire at them in Sukma district in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh during their 'Bharat Bandh' on Wednesday, police said.
A day after six Central Industrial Security Force jawans and a civilian driver were killed in the Naxal attack in Dantewada district, the police on Monday intensified combing operation in the region.
The anti-Naxal operations in Odisha have come to a halt following abduction of two Italian tourists by the Maoists who demanded suspension of offensive against the extremists and release of some of their colleagues besides placing other demands.
In a joint operation led by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the police forces of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh recovered the explosives after they began a 'cordon and search' operation last evening in the jungles of Gwaldand, Maldogri and Jharikheri in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district.
West Bengal government is gearing up to launch full-fledged operations against Maoists and has sought 2,000 additional paramilitary personnel from the Centre.
The Central Reserve Police Force has sought the cover of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act for its men conducting anti-Naxal operations at a time when continuance of the controversial Act in areas of Jammu and Kashmir and the North East is being debated.
With aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation suspending the operating permit of Global Vectra, the Ministry of Home Affairs ambitious plan to hire nearly a dozen helicopters from the private firm to be used for anti-Naxal operations has come a cropper.
In the past one-and-a-half years, Naxals have destroyed nearly 250 mobile towers across the country. The incidents have occurred in Bihar, Chattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. But there seems to be a method to the madness. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
The ambitious plan to deploy such a large number of women personnel in most challenging combat theatres.
As the deadline set by two Maoist groups in the twin hostage crisis ends on Tuesday, the Odisha government seemed to have toughened its stance vis-a-vis their new demands.
Odisha's police force on Monday threatened to boycott anti-Naxal operations if hardcore Maoists are freed by the state government in a bid to end the twin hostage crisis which escalated with the abductors setting new demands before their deadline expires on Monday.
Amid controversy over the anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh, Home Minister P Chidambaram on said CRPF's role in the encounter was "transparent" and "upfront" but he was "deeply sorry" if any innocent person has been killed.
The paramilitary had cut down the use of these vehicles for anti-Naxal operations drastically to a 'bare minimum' after they were targeted in improvised explosive device blasts in the Left Wing Extremism-hit areas.
Three jawans of the Sashastra Seema Bal were killed and another seriously injured on Friday when a mini truck of the force was blown up in a landmine explosion triggered by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, said the police. "Three jawans of SSB died while another personnel was injured when the vehicle came in contact with a landmine planted by the Maoists," said Additional Director General (Naxal Operations) Ram Nivas.
A state-of-the-art control room with giant TV screens that will help track the offensive of security forces in Naxal strongholds with satellite imaging and Global Positioning System has been activated at the Central Reserve Police Force headquarters in New Delhi.
Hundreds of Central REeserve Police Force troops deployed for anti-naxal operations in Bastar region of Chattisgarh were in for a pleasant surprise when they found their chief K Vijay Kumar in their midst to launch a New Year's eve strike.
Top sources in the air wing said that while two 'Dhruvs' are gathering dust at the Raipur airbase for the last two months as their spare parts are unavailable, the third is with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, as it had clocked 500 flying hours after which it needs servicing.
"The air wing deployed for anti-naxal operations will ensure that at least one helicopter is essentially available for casualty evacuation duties and responding to SOS from injured troops will be their topmost priority," BSF Special Director General Arvind Ranjan said.
Maoists on Friday gunned down at least 11 policemen in an ambush that set off an encounter that left four ultras dead in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.
The Indian Air Force on Thursday said it has deployed Garud Special Forces commandos and four choppers for anti-Naxal operations but withdrawn the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles operating in Maoist bastions in Chhattisgarh.
The Union home ministry on Tuesday ruled out involvement of the army in anti-Naxal operations but said more paramilitary forces will be deployed for intensified operations in Maoists-hit areas to flush out the extremists.
Almost a week after the Naxal attack on police personnel in Gariaband, in which nine police personnel were killed, the lone police jawan who had gone missing was spotted in an unconscious state in a village in Gariaband. He was hospitalised later. "A jeep driver spotted Sahu lying in an unconscious state on a road in Dhawalpur village in Gariaband. The driver informed the Mainpur police station and Sahu was later admitted to a hospital," said a officer.
The letters were reportedly recovered after the anti-Naxal operations in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli, in which 39 Maoists were killed, in April.
The Chhattisgarh Police is planning to train a new batch of street dogs for anti-Naxal operations after the canines delivered good results by detecting over 350 Improvised Explosive Devices and landmines in the past two years.
'I want to assure people of Kashmir and India that Jammu and Kashmir will walk on the path of development'
A Central Reserve Police Force jawan and a motor mechanic were arrested on Friday for allegedly working for Maoists and providing them information about anti-Naxal operations in Orissa's Sundargarh district. Jawan Satyaban Bhoi, 38, was working in the CRPF's intelligence wing and was posted in the 19th battalion of the paramilitary force in Bisra. Mechanic Tarun Das, 26, ran a motor vehicle repair garage at the same place.
Almost seven such "Malinois" breed dogs have been trained by the premier police dog training centre of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) at their academy near Chandigarh for about 22 weeks.
A constable was shot dead today and a special police officer was allegedly abducted by the Naxals in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, an official said. A Maoist was also killed in retaliatory fire at a Salwa Judum camp in Cherpal village in the wee hours, he said.
Cousins of the special breed canines, which assisted the elite US Navy SEALs in sniffing out Osama bin Laden from his safe haven in Pakistan, will now help Indian security forces in 'find and fix' anti-Naxal operations in dense forests and difficult terrains.
The government has moved the Supreme Court asking it to review and recall two crucial clauses of the July 5 order banning Special Police Officers in the anti-Naxal operations in states like Chhattisgarh.
In the wake of repeated attacks by Maoists on the Central Reserve Police Force, the government is working out a plan for the redeployment of paramilitary forces engaged in anti-Naxal operations in states.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances