The government is planning to deploy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the fight against Naxals for “reconnaissance” and their trials will take place next week.
Barely 48 hours after the worst-ever Maoist attack on security forces, government sources said that the UAVs are urgently required for “real time intelligence” to track the movements of Maoists in the dense forests to help security forces plan operations “more accurately” and “intercept” the Maoists’ movements with the help of images.
The UAVs, which are expected to be procured from Israel, are likely to have a capacity to fly 5,000 feet above the ground where it would capture and monitor movements of Maoists in the jungles providing instant information to the security forces. The government may also request the IAF to provide more helicopters for “rescue” as well as “surveillance” during the anti-Naxal operations.
Four helicopters of BSF are currently deployed in Naxal-affected areas. The government is likely to hasten the process of dividing the mandate of the CRPF into two parts to create a separate wing for counter-insurgency operations.
Showing posts with label Maoist attack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maoist attack. Show all posts
Friday, April 9, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Bandh in Chhattisgarh to protest Maoist massacre
Roads were deserted, schools were closed and shops downed shutters across many parts of Chhattisgarh on Thursday as the opposition Congress began a daylong shutdown to protest the massacre of 76 troopers by Maoist guerrillas.
Roads wore a deserted look not only in the state capital Raipur but also in the second most populous town in the state, Bilaspur. In Durg and the industrial towns of Korba, Raigarh and Bhilai too, vehicles remained off roads.
According to reports coming in from the State’s Maoist stronghold of Bastar region, the shutdown hit life in the five districts — Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar and Kanker.
Schools remained closed across the state while shopkeepers downed their shutters as a mark of protest.
Chhattisgarh State Congress president Dhanendra Sahu told reporters here that the strike was called to protest the flawed policies of the State’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) that resulted in the killing of 76 troopers on Tuesday in the biggest ever attack carried by Maoists.
Hundreds of Maoists trapped over 80 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers on a hilly stretch, some 450 km south of Raipur, in Dantewada district and went on a killing spree using pressure bombs and automatic weapons.
About a dozen industrial bodies, including the Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have extended support to the shutdown to express their solidarity with the deceased security personnel.
Roads wore a deserted look not only in the state capital Raipur but also in the second most populous town in the state, Bilaspur. In Durg and the industrial towns of Korba, Raigarh and Bhilai too, vehicles remained off roads.
According to reports coming in from the State’s Maoist stronghold of Bastar region, the shutdown hit life in the five districts — Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar and Kanker.
Schools remained closed across the state while shopkeepers downed their shutters as a mark of protest.
Chhattisgarh State Congress president Dhanendra Sahu told reporters here that the strike was called to protest the flawed policies of the State’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) that resulted in the killing of 76 troopers on Tuesday in the biggest ever attack carried by Maoists.
Hundreds of Maoists trapped over 80 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers on a hilly stretch, some 450 km south of Raipur, in Dantewada district and went on a killing spree using pressure bombs and automatic weapons.
About a dozen industrial bodies, including the Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have extended support to the shutdown to express their solidarity with the deceased security personnel.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Chidambaram leaves for Chhattisgarh
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram will on Wednesday make an on-the-spot assessment and review the situation in Chhattisgarh after the Maoist attack that killed 76 CRPF personnel.
Mr. Chidambaram, who left for Raipur on Wednesday morning, is expected to meet Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and other senior security officials, sources said.
On Tuesday, 76 CRPF personnel, who appeared to have walked into the Maoists’ “trap”, were killed in the Mukrana forests of Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, one of the strongholds of the Maoists.
The attack took place between 6 am and 7 am on a batch of 82, including 80 CRPF personnel. Two were from the local police.
The personnel were returning to the base camp as part of a joint operation when it came under fire from hill features just about 4 km away.
Virtually an entire company of the CRPF was wiped out when 75 of its personnel including Deputy Commandant Satyawan Singh Yadav and Assistant Commandant B.L. Meena along with the head constable of the Chhattisgarh police were killed.
The attack shook the Centre and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a meeting with Mr. Chidambaram and assessed the situation. Both of them expressed shock over the attack and grief over the loss of lives.
The Prime Minister had called it a “horrific” incident.
Mr. Chidambaram, rattled by the “very high” casualty, said something must have gone “drastically wrong” in the joint operation as the personnel seemed to have walked into a trap.
Mr. Chidambaram, who left for Raipur on Wednesday morning, is expected to meet Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and other senior security officials, sources said.
On Tuesday, 76 CRPF personnel, who appeared to have walked into the Maoists’ “trap”, were killed in the Mukrana forests of Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, one of the strongholds of the Maoists.
The attack took place between 6 am and 7 am on a batch of 82, including 80 CRPF personnel. Two were from the local police.
The personnel were returning to the base camp as part of a joint operation when it came under fire from hill features just about 4 km away.
Virtually an entire company of the CRPF was wiped out when 75 of its personnel including Deputy Commandant Satyawan Singh Yadav and Assistant Commandant B.L. Meena along with the head constable of the Chhattisgarh police were killed.
The attack shook the Centre and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a meeting with Mr. Chidambaram and assessed the situation. Both of them expressed shock over the attack and grief over the loss of lives.
The Prime Minister had called it a “horrific” incident.
Mr. Chidambaram, rattled by the “very high” casualty, said something must have gone “drastically wrong” in the joint operation as the personnel seemed to have walked into a trap.
