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| Forces gear up for fresh offensive |
| Press Trust Of India / Lalgarh Jun 22, 2009, 00:34 IST |
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After regaining control of Lalgarh from Maoists, security forces today fortified the supply line and conducted recce in the vicinity in preparation for a new offensive to break the rebels’ siege of 17 villages as the Centre warned of fresh violence during the 48-hour strike called by the Naxals in five states from tomorrow. Personnel of CRPF, BSF and West Bengal police checked and fortified the supply line and scoured nearby areas looking for mines, explosives and presence of Maoists, West Midnapore District Magistrate N S Nigam said.
Chief Secretary A M Chakrabarty told reporters in Kolkata that the situation in Lalgarh was still very critical and security forces hardly made any move from their yesterday’s position. Briefing reporters after a high-level review meeting convened by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in Kolkata, Chakraborty said “central paramilitary forces, which have already reached Lalgarh, Pirakata, Bhimpur and Sarenga, are trying to sanitise the entire area and instill confidence among the villagers”.
He said the central forces were attacked at one of these villages by Maoists but the attack was repulsed. At Kadasol, two policemen were injured when Maoists hurled bombs and fired a few rounds, Chakrabarty said adding one CRPF jawan died of heat stroke yesterday.
The strategy of the forces will focus on wresting control of Barapelia, Chotopelia and Dalilpurchak in West Midnapore district where top Maoist leaders, including Koteswar Rao, were suspected to be holed up, senior police officers engaged in the operation said. Maoist-backed People’s Committee against Police Atrocity (PCPA) convenor Chatradhar Mahato resides in Barapelia and it also houses the PCPA headquarters.
The state government asked the Maoists to surrender arms and help restore normalcy at Lalgarh and its adjacent areas. “The Maoists have no right to kill people, terrorise them and burn their homes creating a reign of terror in the entire area,” Chakraborty said.
In New Delhi, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram issued a statement describing the situation in Lalgarh as “tense” and asked politicians, people and NGOs to keep away from the conflict area. “The situation in Lalgarh is sensitive and continues to be tense besides CPI (Maoist) call for a bandh tomorrow,” he said.
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