NUAPADA: Following the Maoist ambush in Patdhara Reserve Forests under Boden block in the district, in which three CRPF jawans were martyred, IG (Operations), Amitav Thakur visited the district to review the situation and strengthen strategy for further action.
Briefing mediapersons on Thursday, the IG said a number of developmental works is underway in the region due to which sanitising the area is important for strengthening security. “For this, we are setting up multiple forward posts and one such post was recently set up on April 7 in Patdhara. On the day of incident, our personnel were shifting to the camp when the ultras took advantage of the heavy rainfall and executed the attack,” he said.
The IG along with ADG, CRPF, Nitin Agrawal, IG CRPF, SK Mohanty, DIG, CRPF, Daljeet Singh and Commandant, CRPF 216 Battalion, Rajes Vatsa visited Patdhara on Wednesday. “The incident was certainly a setback, but we have initiated action and also launched a joint operation in which we will seek support from the SOG and Chhatisgarh police to wipe out the Maoists from the area, “ Thakur stressed.
Speaking on the use of mortars by the Maoists in Odisha, the IG said, “The mortars are mostly used in Chhatisgarh by the ultras, which they make themselves at the camps. But in the crossfire in April, we had seized mortars and now in Patdhara incident also the Red rebels used mortars.”
In around last six months, multiple incidents of exchange of fire have taken place in Patdhara including once in December last year, twice in January and April. Thakur said, police has got inputs from intelligence that the Maoists have camped on the other side of the border in Chhattisgarh, which they consider to be a safer place.
“But they will definitely be traced and wiped out from here. We will strengthen the camps and deploy additional forces to subdue their actions. We will not let the sacrifice of our jawans go in vain,” he added.
DIG (South Western Range), Rajesh Pandit and SP, Nuapada Pratyush Diwakar were present during the briefing.