Maoists holed up in deep forests: Jharkhand DGP

Faced with intense combing operation, Maoists in Jharkhand are holed up in dense forest areas in selected pockets, posing a dilemma to police on which part of the jungles they should target them, a top police officer said here today.
"Although their strength has come down, whatever numbers left (in the Maoist ranks) is confined to the deep forests," Director General of Police G S Rath told reporters here.
And that is the problematic point for the security forces as they were not aware which side of the forests the rebels are hiding, he said, adding that police personnel have to move cautiously in their anti-Naxal operations.

He identified Maoist pockets in Saranda forest of West Singhbhum district, Giridih's Parasnath, Bokaro's Jhumra Pahar and the forests in Palamau.
Claiming that Maoist activities have been contained in Jharkhand through intensive combing operations, the DGP said the remaining leaders in their ranks are still "powerful and capable of giving the police, a challenge".
The forces were using modern weapons in their fight against Naxalism but the rebels too possessed sophisticated weapons, the police chief said.
In reply to a query, he said containment of coal smuggling had blocked fund-flow to Maoists from coal mafia.
Strict vigil and swift actions resulted in checking coal smuggling in Hazaribagh, Bokaro, Giridih and Ramgarh districts, he said.