Five naxals held in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh

Five naxals including three girls were held from separate places in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Dantewada district on Friday, the police said.

Security forces had received information that naxals were planning attacks on police in urban areas of the district, Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Pallava said.

Combined teams of the police's District Reserve Guard (DRG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and local police conducted raids in Kirandul, Dantewada and Geedam, rounding up nine suspects including seven minors, he said.

Two of them were identified as Sodhi Bhima (29) and Sodhi Nanda (20), who were part of "action teams" of Maoists while three girls were members of the rebels' 'Jan militia', Pallava said.

Remaining four minors were released as they were found to have no connection with Maoists, the SP said.

Bhima and Nanda were allegedly involved in the killing of a villager in Nilawaya forests on January 31, planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to target security forces in Potali area during the recent panchayat polls, and attacks on police and CRPF personnel, the official said.

Both were carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh each on their heads.

Maoist literature, a detonator and 100 gm gun powder were recovered from their possession, he said.

The three Jan militia members, aged 12-17 years, were allegedly involved in reconnaissance of security forces and planting explosives and iron spikes to target them, he said.

Naxals had planned attacks in view of 110th anniversary of 'Bhumkal revolt' between February 4 to 10, he said. They had recruited minor boys and girls for use as human shield, the SP claimed.

'Bhumkal revolt' refers to a rebellion by tribal farmers in Bastar region against British rulers in 1910.