Hunt on for Maoists after yesterday's attack on Orissa police party
17 Jul 2008, 1027 Hrs

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Malkangiri (Orissa), July 17 (ANI): A massive combing operation has been launched following yesterday's Maoists attack in which at least 24 policemen were killed when a landmine exploded under a security vehicle in Orissa's Malkangiri District. The search operation to nab the Maoists is being jointly launched by Special operation group units and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Mottu police station area.

Additional police forces are being mobilised to strengthen the combing operation in the area.

In a related development, Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta has said that the Central Government has decided to set up six jungle warfare and counter-insurgency schools to train security personnel to deal with the Maoists.

"In order to encourage the training capabilities in the state, we have decided from the Central Government's part to set-up six counter-insurgency jungle warfare schools this year. We have asked the states that they should let us know that where can they give land for this purpose," Gupta said.

On June 29, 33 cops died when Maoists attacked their boat in Malkangiri district. ixty-six people including 63 policemen were on the boat, which had sunk into the reservoir after a Maoist attack in. Out of them 28 survived.

Also known as Naxalites, they say they are fighting on behalf of the rural poor and landless and want to build a communist state.

The government has recently taken a new stance on the Maoist insurgency, pulling the affected states together to coordinate their response. It says it will combine improved policing with socio-economic measures to defuse grievances that fuel the Maoist cause. (ANI)