Ranchi, March 13 (IANS) Carcasses of killed dogs have been found in the jungle areas of Jharkhand and West Bengal, triggering anger among animal lovers who say the Maoists are killing dogs to prevent them from barking and alerting security forces.

The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has reportedly issued a diktat to its cadre to kill dogs found in bordering areas of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The diktat was issued following the inter-state offensive, known as Green Hunt, launched against the rebels in the two states on Tuesday.

With the inter-state offensive against them on at several places in the state, the Maoists are reportedly facing a problem with dogs alerting security forces and villagers in the deep jungles to their movement.

'We have got information that Maoist rebels have started killing dogs in bordering areas of Jharkhand and West Bengal. Some dead dogs have also been found in jungle areas,' Shankar Hembrom, president of the Nagrik Suraksha Samiti (citizen's protection society), told reporters in Jamshedpur. The NSS was formed against Maoist rebels at the village level.

Animal lovers are unhappy with the Maoist diktat. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has expressed unhappiness over it. Peta has also written an open letter to the leftwing rebels appealing to them to spare the dogs.

'We appeal to Maoists to spare dogs. Killing dogs will yield nothing to Maoists,' said Ravi Prakash, a Peta member.