Guerrillas loot ammonium nitrate

Suspected Naxalite guerrillas looted a huge quantity of ammonium nitrate, which is used for making explosives, in restive Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. The chemical-laden truck was on way to an industrial unit in Raipur from Visakhapatnam when suspected Naxalites intercepted it near Bhanpuri, about 300 km from here, from the National Highway NH-43 on Tuesday night.

The truck was released late Wednesday night after the Naxalites off-loaded about 16.5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, Bastar Superintendent of Police P Sunderraj said. Police have launched a massive search operation in the area to track the rebels involved in the loot, he added. The incident had shunned the state authorities as the rebels had taken away a huge quantity of chemical in one go. The rebels had been using ammonium nitrate for making landmines that had been inflicting major casualties on the security personnel in Bastar.