Red alert sounded in Orissa to nab naxals

By Prafulla Das

BHUBANESWAR, AUG. 11. The Orissa police have sounded a red alert in the naxalite-infested Malkangiri, Rayagada and Gajapati districts following attacks on two police stations in Malkangiri on Thursday night.

Police have launched combing operations in Malkangiri district to nab the members of the People's War Group (PWG) who attacked the Kalimela and Motu police stations killing five policemen and injuring another 22 others. Two naxalites were killed when police fired in retaliation.

According to Mr. Anup Patnaik, Inspector-General of Police (Operations), four additional platoons of police personnel from the Orissa State Armed Police (OSAP) have been deployed in Malkangiri district to intensify search operations. However, no arrests were made till Saturday evening, he said.

Mr. Patnaik said the Andhra Pradesh and Chhatishgarh police were extending full cooperation in the areas bordering Malkangiri. They were also carrying out search operations in the areas close to Kalimela and Motu.

Of the 22 policemen who were injured fighting the naxalites, four have been shifted to the MKCG Hospital in Berhampur. The condition of two of them was stated to be serious. The remaining are undergoing treatment at Malkangiri and Koraput hospitals, while some of them have been taken to Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh.

Out of the two PWG men who were killed, one has been found to be a naxalite from Chhatishgarh.

As he was found wearing a uniform with two stars on the shoulders, police suspect that he was the leader of the group that attacked the Motu police station.

Investigations are on to know his proper identity. The whereabouts of the other person was yet to be known.

Police are suspecting that more naxalites had been killed in police firing on Thursday night. However, no more bodies had been traced by police till Saturday evening.

Going by the kind of well-organised attack by the PWG men, police are not ruling out the possibility of the naxalites having support from the local population.

The naxalites have gained strength taking advantage of the backwardness of the tribals and the difficult terrains.

The Chief Minister, Mr. Naveen Patnaik, has already issued instructions to all the Government departments to take immediate measures for the development of the region.

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