Maoist resurgence near Odisha Border: Twin killings in Bijapur and explosives seizure in Saranda raise alarms

In a disturbing resurgence of Maoist violence near Odisha’s southern and northern borders, two villagers were brutally murdered in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, adjacent to Malkangiri, while a huge cache of IEDs and explosives was recovered from the Saranda forests on the Odisha-Jharkhand border in two days.

Twin Killings in Bijapur Spark Fear Along Malkangiri Border

According to reports, a bloodshed unfolded on Saturday in Tarem village under Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, where 10 to 15 armed Maoists stormed the area and hacked two men to death using sharp-edged weapons.

The victims were reportedly accused of being police informers, a recurring pretext Maoists have used in the past to instil fear in border villages.

Local sources confirmed that the killings were extremely brutal, with bodies bearing multiple injuries, and the assault carried out in full public view.

Following the attack, security forces in both Odisha and Chhattisgarh have intensified combing operations, deploying additional personnel to flush out Maoist hideouts and prevent retaliatory strikes.

Explosives Recovered from Saranda Forest

Even as southern Odisha reeled from the violence, security forces uncovered a cache of explosives in Saranda forests, along the Odisha-Jharkhand border.

Sources stated that 14 powerful IEDs, grenades, and large quantities of ammonium nitrate powder were seized in a targeted anti-Maoist search operation.

The explosives were allegedly planted to ambush jawans patrolling the Chaibasa-Toklo and Kharsua-Kuchai police station areas, where Maoist activity has been gradually increasing. According to police sources, these two-kilo IEDs were found hidden in tiffin boxes, a tactic previously used in deadly ambushes.

Acting on intelligence inputs, Jharkhand Jaguars, CRPF, and local police launched a coordinated raid, safely recovering and defusing the explosives. The materials were later destroyed on-site.

Signs of a Bigger Plot: Security Forces on High Alert

The seizure comes amid growing concerns that top Maoist leaders like Asim Mandal, Misir Besra, and Mochhu Anmol have regrouped and become active once again in the Saranda region. Sources suggest that the recovered explosives were part of a larger plan to carry out a high-casualty strike targeting security personnel.

Operations in the Saranda forests have since intensified, with continued surveillance and search drives aimed at neutralising the emerging threat.