Anti-Naxal operations continue in junglemahal

Joint security forces are maintaining round-the-clock patrols in four police station areas around Ayodhya hills in Purulia district as part of stepped up efforts to smash Naxal dens.

The patrols were being concentrated in Bandwan, Balarampur, Arsha and Bagmundi police station areas of Ayodhya hills, Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar Chowdhury said today.

The joint forces, led by superintendent of police Counter Insurgency Forces, Manoj Verma, had been tipped about the Naxal dens.

He said the Ayodhya squad of the Naxals, which had hideouts in Ayodhya hills had fled to Jharkhand following the operations against them.

The operations were launched on November 14 after the killing of two Trinamool Congress workers and in the encounter which followed two Maoists were also killed.

In West Midnapore district's Jhargram subdivision, combing operations were continuing in Lalgarh, Jamboni and Salboni police station areas, police sources said.

Four forests iIn Bankura district, the joint forces were combing forests in Sarenga and Barikul police station areas, the sources said.

Yesterday, wanted Maoist Jagari Baskey, who had taken part in the raid on an EFR camp in which 21 EFR personnel were killed in February last year and the kidnapping of Atin Dutta then OC of Sankrail police station in October 2009, surrendered before police at the state secretariat. Her husband, Rajaram Soren, also surrendered along with her in response to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's call to Naxals to lay down arms and return to the mainstream.n the three police station areas were being targeted during the operations.