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COVID-19 disrupts Maoists” supply chain in C”garh: Police

Raipur, Sep 13 (PTI) Maoists are facing a crisis,
specially disruption of supplies, amid the COVID-19 pandemic
and also suffered “huge causalities” during an encounter with
security forces in Sukma district in March, an official said
citing Naxal documents seized by Chhattisgarh Police.

Cashing-in on the situation, security forces have
stepped up anti-Naxal operations in strongholds of ultras in
the state”s Bastar division, Inspector General of Police
(Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI on Sunday.

These documents, including some letters written by
cadres, were recovered by a joint team of security forces
following an exchange of fire with Naxals in a forest near
Entapad village of Sukma on September 8, he said.

The gunfight lasted for about half-an-hour after which
Naxals escaped into the dense forest leaving behind their
bags, documents and other camping material, he said.

“An analysis of the recovered documents has revealed
that Maoists have been experiencing tremendous hardships
during the COVID-19 pandemic following the lockdown imposed in
March this year,” the official said.

They have been facing an acute shortage of provisions
and their supply networks have been chocked due to round-the-
clock checking by security forces along the inter-state and
inter-district borders, and regular patrolling, he said.

Arrangements of medicines and ration has been the main
concern for rebels during this period, he said.

“We were well aware of the situation and now the
documents have confirmed that Maoists are in deep crisis
during the ongoing phase,” the official said.

He further said that translation of a letter, written
in local Gondi dialect by a subordinate to a senior cadre of
south Bastar division, disclosed that Maoists lost their 23
cadres during the encounter at Minpa in Sukma district on
March 21 this year.

During the gun battle, 17 personnel of the District
Reserve Guard and the Special Task Force were killed.

The official said Maoists had then issued a press
release, admitting death of only three operatives of its
People”s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion no.01,
headed by Naxal commander Hidma.

“However, we had intelligence inputs that more than 25
Maoists were killed in that encounter,” he said.

In order to keep up the morale of their lower-rung
cadres, Maoists normally do not disclose details about the
huge casualties they suffer during face-off with security
forces, he said.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and carrying
out operations in Maoists” strongholds in the interiors of
Bastar division,” the official added. PTI TKP
GK GK



Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: PTI


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