Nayagarh attack: Cops recover huge quantity of looted arms

BHUBANESWAR: Stepping up the combing operation against Maoists, security forces on Monday recovered a huge quantity of arms and half-a-truck-load of ammunition looted from armouries in Orissa's Nayagarh, where the ultras killed 14 policemen and a civilian two days ago. "Combing to track down the Naxals involved in Nayagarh killings has been intensified, while a huge quantity of arms and ammunition has been recovered from the site of encounter," Director General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda said. Nanda, who briefed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik about the anti-Naxal operation here, told reporters that a carbine, 115 rifles and five grenade launchers were among the weapons recovered near the encounter site in Gosmah forest on border area of Nayagarh, Ganjam and Kandhamal districts. In addition, the truck used by the maoists to take away the arms from Nayagarh armouries on Friday night was also found. Half the truck was loaded with cartridges and other ammunition. The combing operation, backed by helicopters, was stepped up as hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel fanned to Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal and Rayagada districts after the coordinated strikes by Maoists on three police stations, a police training school, two outposts and the district police armoury. The state government has claimed that 20 Maoists, including some women cadre, were gunned down during the combing, while three security personnel lost their lives in the operation.