Raipur, July 10 : Maoist guerrillas, who unleashed an attack that left 24 security personnel dead on Monday night in the forests of Errabore in Dantewada district, wore bullet proof jackets and used sophisticated weapons, raising suspicion that the rebels have deployed an “attack battalion” in Chhattisgarh. Police sources said recent attacks by the Naxalites have resulted in heavy casualties for ’security forces’ while also indicating the superior standard of training of rebel cadres.
“It appears that the rebels have strengthened their military wing–the Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army–and raised its strength to a battalion in Chhattisgarh, ” a senior police officer engaged in anti-Naxalite operations said.
Sources pointed out that the Naxalite attack on a police camp at Rani Bodli on March 15 this year, in which 55 ’security personnel’ were killed, was of a similar nature. “Hundreds of rebels had participated in that attack too and we fear that rebels might have brought in more forces to the Bastar region,” sources added.
In fact the Rani Bodli attack was so well planned that the security forces were taken by surprise and could not counter the rebels. “There have been some intelligence inputs about the possibility of PLGA planning to raise its strength to form an attack battalion to carry out major operations,” sources said.