Naxal supply chain of material used to make explosives busted in Gadchiroli; 4 arrested

The Gadchiroli police have busted a supply chain of material used by Naxals to make explosives and arrested four supporters of the ultras here in Maharashtra, police said on Sunday.

Based on inputs, an anti-Naxal operation was carried out on Saturday during which a gang of Naxal supporters transporting such material was intercepted in Bhangarampetha village under Damrancha police limits, they said.

The police recovered 10 bundles of cordex wire measuring 3,500 metre in length and nabbed four suspects, while another person managed to escape, the Gadchiroli police said in a release.

The gang was transporting the wire bundles from Telangana to Chhattisgarh, it said, adding that such material is widely used by Naxals in making barrel grenade launchers, hand grenades and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

According to police, Naxals were planning an extensive use of explosives during their forthcoming tactical counter-offensive campaign (TCOC), which the rebels hold every year when they contact locals, recruit youth, provide them training and launch attacks on security forces.

Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Ankit Goyal lauded the personnel involved in busting the Naxal supply chain.

The ultras have been using various kind of weapons and explosives to carry out violence in the area.

In November last year, 26 Naxals were killed in an encounter with police in Gadchiroli district