Nuapada, July 7 (UDN): In a significant breakthrough in the ongoing anti-Maoist operations, security forces on Tuesday unearthed a concealed Maoist arms dump deep inside the Patahara Reserve Forest near the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border in Nuapada district, recovering a large cache of firearms, explosives, ammunition, and other operational materials believed to have been stockpiled by Maoist cadres.
The recovery was made during a joint intelligence-led operation conducted by the District Voluntary Force (DVF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Barpat Donger forest under the jurisdiction of Boden police station. The operation was launched following credible intelligence developed by the Nuapada District Police regarding the presence of a hidden Maoist cache in the forested region.
The search operation was carried out under the supervision of Nuapada Superintendent of Police Amritpal Singh, who monitored the combing exercise in the difficult hilly terrain. During the operation, security personnel discovered a concealed underground dump containing a substantial quantity of arms, explosives, and equipment allegedly used by members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).
According to police, the recovered cache included two country-made firearms, a country-made carbine with a magazine, 29 rounds of 7.62×39 mm AK-series ammunition, 54 rounds of 7.62×51 mm SLR ammunition, two tiffin improvised explosive devices (IEDs), eight gelatin sticks, around 1.5 kg of gunpowder, a detonator, batteries, a solar panel, electrical and codex wires, a multimeter, testing equipment, a wire cutter, Maoist uniforms, haversacks, shoes, medicines, cooking utensils, and Maoist literature.
Investigators suspect the recovered materials formed part of an old Maoist logistics and weapons cache concealed in the reserve forest for future operational use. The seizure is expected to significantly weaken the logistical capabilities of Maoist operatives active along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border.
Speaking on the operation, SP Amritpal Singh said security forces have intensified combing and area domination exercises in the region to detect additional hidden dumps and prevent Maoist activities.
Following the recovery, surveillance has been strengthened across the border areas, with security agencies maintaining a high level of vigilance to curb the movement of Maoist cadres and dismantle their support infrastructure.
Police said sustained intelligence-based operations will continue in the region as part of the coordinated strategy to eliminate Left Wing Extremism and ensure peace and security in the border districts.