Anti-Naxal operation enters 3rd week

ROURKELA: Security forces of Orissa and Jharkhand continued their ‘area domination operation’ for the 18th day on Sunday at the hostile Saranda operational hub of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) outfit along the Orissa-Jharkhand border. The security exercise is being seen as the largest of all the exercises conducted so far in the Saranda forest.It is learnt that the forces have gunned down a hardcore Maoist during an encounter near Baliva area and seized explosives from some dismantled camps.Jharkhand’s Chaibasa-based DIG Naveen Singh said an unidentified Maoist was killed on Saturday morning during exchange of fire. He added police had destroyed a few camps and recovered huge amount of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).In a separate incident, security personnel picked up eight persons for questioning from Nuagaon and Raidihi areas, close to Sundargarh border in Orissa.Rourkela SP Himanshu Lal declined to speak on the outcome of the operation, but said it was imperative to question persons moving suspiciously.Meanwhile, amid mounting pressure the Maoists are seemingly on the run even as many security men are suffering from malaria. Sources said around 31 security personnel afflicted with malaria have been airlifted for treatment. Police asserted the operation would continue till the ‘liberated zone’ of the Maoists is completely sanitised.