Gadchiroli police on alert

NAGPUR: Gadchiroli district police superintendent Sandip Patil, has on Sunday stated that he had ensured the forces remained on their toes following the back-to-back incidents in Chhattisgarh where Naxals have inflicted losses on security forces, claiming lives of seven jawans and also setting several vehicles on fire.
Patil said the security forces in his district were already engaged in area domination exercise and operations with the first phase of forthcoming panchayat elections in the backdrop.“Gadchiroli mostly shares border with Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on the western side. The incidents have been occurring in the eastern side where Chhattisgarh mostly shares border with Odisha and Telangana. We still have ensured that the forces engage in deep actions to keep the pressure on the Naxals intact,” he said.
Sources in Chhattisgarh stated that the Naxals were in battalion formation, having around 150 manpower, which had outnumbered and ambushed STF squad comprising around 60 jawans near Dornapal in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, killing seven. Gadchiroli police sources stated that local Naxals mostly operated in company formations. Two company formations of Naxals, numbered 10 and 4, operated in Gadchiroli, said a source. District police have ensured that strength of the combined security forces, whenever out in the combat zone for actions, are in adequate numbers.
SP Patil, reacting on the recent developments, also stated that forces were extra cautious near the border zones which were earmarked as possible corridors used by the Naxals to cross over to Gadchiroli from Maharashtra. “Forces have stepped up monitoring in the Bhamragarh forests which serves as a gateway for the Naxals to access their stronghold in Abhujamadh,” he said. Patil also said that the Naxals had managed to arm themselves with some sophisticated firearms looted from central paramilitary forces in Chhattisgarh.
The district police are also left facing challenge of having to shoulder a tougher battle against the Naxals mostly alone now as already acclimatized Central reserve police force (CRPF) is set to leave for Chhattisgarh making way for Indo-Tibetan border police (ITBP) to take over. “District police would maintain its pressing actions against Naxals for a prolonged period now,” he said.