.303 rifles replaced with INSAS: JH police

Informing that the state police were being equipped with modern gadgets every month, Additional Director General of Police (Training & Modernisation) Bibhuti Bhusan Pradhan said recently a few new anti-landmine vehicles were added to the already over 100 such vehicles to scourge into the deep forests during anti-naxal operations.

"Our target was to replace all .303 rifles with INSAS, which we achieved this year. All the fighting personnel have now INSAS," Pradhan told PTI here.

Asserting that the Maoists were on back foot, Pradhan said Jharkhand has been the leading state in the fight against the left-wing guerrillas.

"Even the MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) has said that Jharkhand is the number one state fighting against the Maoists. Of course, we have suffered casualties, but we have pushed them on the back foot," he added.

"Now we have over hundred anti-landmine vehicles with the addition of a few more (recently). All the naxal-affected districts have been given the vehicles, besides deployment of Special Task Force," he said.

Jharkhand police, who have been dealing with at least six extremist outfits, including the CPI (Maoist), have recently claimed to have "cleared off" Maoists from West Singhbhum