Monday, April 2, 2007

Naxal attack: alert in Bihar, combing operation launched

Even as an alert was sounded across the state in the wake of audacious Naxal attack at Riga in Sitamarhi on Saturday evening, a handpicked joint police team comprising officials from Sitamarhi, Sheohar and East Champaran launched an intensive combing operation to flush out extremists from the three districts bordering Nepal. The team picked up an alleged mastermind behind the Riga incident from Sheohar district on Sunday.Sitamarhi superintendent of police MR Naik said the joint police team carried out raids on suspected hideouts of the Maoists. "We have shared information with our counterparts in Sheohar and East Champaran and follow up action is being taken," he said, adding that a hardcore activist of the CPI (Maoist), who is suspected to have masterminded the Riga attack, had been detained.Naik said that the help of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel, who are deployed on the Indo-Nepal border, had also been sought. Intelligence reports said that the Maoists escaped through Bargania (Sitamarhi), Patahi and Dhaka in East Champaran district after the unsuccessful operation."Though the Maoists had tried to carry out the operation methodically, our alert police personnel foiled their attempt to loot cash from the bank and firearms from the police station. We have suitably rewarded the five Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) personnel, who fought valiantly to thwart their attempt," the SP said.Meanwhile, an alert has been sounded across the state, including in jails. Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah said that all the police stations in Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Sheohar, East and West Champaran, Gaya, Jehanabad, Nalanda, Bhojpur, Nawada and Aurangabad had been put on high alert and combing operation had been launched.IG (Prisons) Sandip Paundrik said that the security in the central and district jails, where a large number of Maoists were lodged, had been beefed up in view of the Sitmarhi incident. "I have directed the superintendents of jail of Gaya, Jehanabad, Bhagalpur, Nawada, Bhojpur and Beur to remain extra vigilant as many top leaders of the Maoists are lodged there," he added.During verification, the Sitamarhi district police chief found two SAP personnel absent without leave. "The two SAP jawans have been dismissed," the SP said, adding that while the extremists, said to be over 150 in number, fired over 600 rounds, the police fired just 40 round in retalisation.According to the SP, a SAP jawan, Madan Mohan Prasad, was shot by extremists while he tried to enter the police station after he came to know that the Maoists had surrounded the police station. The extremists fired upon the assistant manager of the bank when he tried to convince that he did not have the key of the strong room. Later, he was referred to the Patna Medical College and Hospital.The police recovered three cane bombs from a road bridge at Manihari. They had planted the bombs to blow up the bridge, a senior police officer said. The bomb disposal squad from Patna later defused the bombs. The SP said the Manihari Bridge was partially damaged by the extremists, which had been repaired by the local villagers. "Traffic has been restored on the bridge," he added.
http://www.hindustantimes.in/news/181_1962470,000900030002.htm

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