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| India-Pakistan |
| 15 killed in naxalite raids on Orissa police depots |
| 2008-02-17 |
| NAYAGARH (ORISSA): Hundreds of armed Maoists simultaneously raided several police establishments in Nayagarh district late on Friday night, killing 15 persons, including 13 policemen, and looting large quantities of arms and ammunition. A village guard and one civilian were the others killed. Ten persons, including nine policemen, were injured. The operation started at 10.30 p.m. and ended at 0030 hours on Saturday. Police swung into action and encircled the Kupari forests, where the Maoists had taken shelter. Till last reports came in, two extremists were gunned down in the combing operation undertaken by 800 security personnel belonging to the Orissa police, the Andhra Pradesh police, and Central para-military forces. Two Maoists were also arrested. Two Air Force bomber helicopters were pressed into service to locate the Maoists. If needed the naxalites would be bombed, highly placed sources said. According to Nayagarh Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar, the naxalites first blocked all the four entry points to Nayagarh town and then attacked the arms depot at the local police training school, the district armoury and the local police station, catching the security personnel off guard. The Maoists, numbering around 600, came in several vehicles. There were three trucks, one jeep, and several motorcycles. Around 100 women were part of the attackers. While a majority of the extremists opened fire at the arms depots and police stations, many stood guard at prominent locations of the town after blocking the road with boulders and their vehicles. The roads to Mr. KumarÂ’s residence were also blocked. Many Maoists killed in Nayagarh operation: Orissa govt Bhubaneswar (PTI): Orissa government on Sunday claimed that a "large number" of Maoists were gunned down during combing operation in the border areas of Nayagarh, Ganjam and Kandhamal districts. "We have received information about death of a large number of naxals during the combing operation. However, the government is not sure about the exact number of ultras killed in the exchange of fire between jawans and the maoists," state Home Secretary T K Mishra told PTI. Optimist about achieving success in the combing operation to nab the maoists involved in the Nayagarh attack on Friday night, where 15 people including 14 police personnel were killed, Mishra said a massive operation had been launched which would continue till the end. Mishra said besides Greyhounds, jawans of CRPF, Special Operation Group (SOG), state armed police and other personnel were engaged in the combing operation simultaneously launched in the three districts. He said very senior officers from the state were directly supervising the operation. "The officers were told to continue the operation till the last man involved in the Nayagarh attack was nabbed or killed," Mishra said. Meanwhile, the special secretary in the union home ministry, who arrived here in wake of the massacre, held several rounds of talks with the officials and the police to chalk out strategy to combat the naxal menace. |
| Posted by:john frum |