Security forces demolish memorials built by Naxals on Odisha border

Security forces on Friday demolished memorials built by Naxals to honour their dead comrades during an anti-naxal operation in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, bordering Odisha. Acting on a tip-off about the movement of the Reds, security forces conducted a sudden raid and demolished the monuments.

Chhattisgarh is one of the most affected Naxal states with the ultras setting up their bases in the forest and hilly regions. Armed forces have been conducting operations to penetrate deep inside Naxal zones. 

As the operations continued, memorials built in honour of their dead comrades were detected and demolished by the forces to dismantle the ultras.

The combined forces of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Chhattisgarh police have been demolishing the monuments, built by Left-Wing-Extremists (LWEs) to show their dominance in the Naxal-affected regions.

Worth mentioning, two jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were killed in a bomb blast carried out by the Naxals in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur a few days back. The Naxals carried out an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast on the team while it was returning from an anti-Naxal search operation.

3 Major Naxal attacks in Odisha in 2024:

Boudh district: Several jawans of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Odisha were injured in Maoists-triggered blasting of an improvised explosive device (IED) during a combing operation in Nalikumpa jungle under Kanthamal block of Boudh district on February 15, 2024.

Two jawans had to be airlifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar after their condition worsened. A 30-member team of SOG jawans was carrying out the combing operation when they fell victim to the IED planted by the ultras.

2 Naxals killed: Two ultras were killed in the exchange of fire between Maoists and security forces in Parhel Reserve Forest under Kantamal police station in Boudh district on April 25. The LWEs launched indiscriminate fire on SOG personnel when they were patrolling leading to the fire exchange.

Kandhamal District: On May 30, 2024, the Border Security Force (BSF) 99-Battalion foiled a significant Naxal attack during a combing operation at Tilakpanga forest in Gochapada police station in Kandhamal district. The security forces seized 2kg of IED during the combing.

Meanwhile, Maoist insurgency has reduced in Odisha to a great extent in 2024 as compared to previous years. As per data, 2023 saw 14 incidents of Naxal violence against 27 in 2022, 28 in 2021, 41 in 2020, and 44 in 2019.