Around 50 vehicles engaged in excavation and transportation of iron ore from the Surjagad hills in Etapalli taluka of the district were burnt down and their drivers beaten up by Naxals today, police said.
Lloyd Metals Company has been allotted the lease of Surjagad hills by the Government and it has been excavating iron ore from the site for the last one-and-a-half month.
When the work was going on near the hills, dozens of rebels reached the site at around 11 AM and burnt down around 50 vehicles, including trucks, tractors, Pokland and JCB machines, they said.
The rebels confined the drivers of these vehicles, thrashed them and set them free after three hours, police said.
It should be noted that local people have been opposing the excavation and transportation of iron ore from the Surjagad hills.
(REOPENS BES46)
No arrests had been made so far in connection with the incident, Gadchiroli Police said in a release.
A search operation has been launched to nab the ultras, it added.
