Malkangiri: In a significant blow to Maoist operations, security forces recovered a hidden cache of explosives and weapons during a targeted anti-Naxal operation in the dense forests of Malkangiri district on Tuesday.
The joint effort, led by the Border Security Force (BSF) in collaboration with the District Voluntary Force (DVF), underscores the ongoing push to dismantle insurgent networks in one of India’s most Naxal-affected regions.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, personnel from the Company Operating Base (COB) Bodigetta and the 142 Battalion BSF, along with DVF Malkangiri, launched the operation in remote and challenging terrain under the Kalimela Police Station jurisdiction.
The search focused on the forested area between Elkanur and Dayaltungi villages in the Bejjangiwada Reserve Forest, near Colonigurha in the Kurmanur Gram Panchayat.
During the raid, the team unearthed a Maoist dump containing a variety of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and related materials.
The recovered items include: 2 Tiffin IEDs (3 liters each in steel containers); 1 Improvised Grenade; 24 Gelatine sticks; 40 meters of Cordex wire; 1 No. 36 Grenade; 22 Electric Detonators; 1 Bharmar (country-made firearm); 2 Remotes; 1 Electric Motor; 3 Cylinders (5 kg each);15 Iron plates; 345 grams of Iron nuts and bolts; and 50nos. 12-Bore used cartridge caps.
These materials are believed to have been stockpiled by Maoist groups for potential attacks on security forces and police personnel. The BSF highlighted that such recoveries disrupt the insurgents’ strategies and erode their morale amid increasing dominance by security agencies in the area.
Malkangiri district has long been a hotspot for Naxal activities, with Maoists and their sympathizers exerting influence over remote communities. Insurgent outfits have historically used secluded forest locations to store IED-making components, arms, and ammunition. The BSF, which has been conducting relentless operations in the region, emphasized its commitment to maintaining extensive area control.
Following this seizure, combing and search efforts will intensify to safeguard both security personnel and local residents.
This operation adds to a series of recent successes by security forces in weakening Maoist strongholds in Odisha’s southern districts. Officials noted that the growing pressure from joint forces is forcing insurgents to abandon their caches and retreat from previously dominated areas.
