Explosives looted by Maoists in Odisha recovered from Jharkhand's Saranda Forest

JHARKHAND: In a major breakthrough, Jharkhand and Odisha police, along with central security forces, have recovered 2.5 tonnes of explosives during a joint operation in the Saranda forest of West Singhbhum district, officials said on Tuesday.

The explosives were part of a cache looted by Maoists on May 27 from a stone quarry in Relahatu Yanko, located under Keblang police station in Odisha's Sundargarh district.

On May 30, an earlier operation had led to the recovery of 150 kg of the stolen explosives from the Tirilposhi area of the Saranda forest.

According to officials, around two tonnes of explosives still remain in Maoist possession, and an intensive search operation is going on.

The armed Maoist squad had earlier intercepted an explosive-laden van which was on the way to a quarry and diverted it into the dense Saranda forest, where they unloaded approximately 200 packets of explosives.

The incident triggered a heightened alert in both Odisha and Jharkhand. In addition to police efforts, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also launched an investigation, while Odisha Police had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.

Police sources said a significant portion of the looted explosives had been buried underground by the Maoists in the Tirilposhi area under the Jaraikela police station. The recovery was made during a joint operation by Jharkhand Police, CRPF, Cobra Battalion, and Odisha Police.

Rourkela Police of Odisha confirmed the recovery via a post on its official social media handle.

The expansive Saranda forest continues to serve as a major Maoist hideout. However, sustained counterinsurgency operations over the past two years have pushed the extremists into smaller pockets of the region.

Maoists routinely plant explosives along forest routes to target police and paramilitary personnel. In the last two years, at least four security personnel and more than ten civilians have lost their lives in such landmine blasts.