Maoists devise new modus operandi to attack security forces

Neelabh Srivastava
New Delhi (PTI) - Maoists in India have come up
with a new modus operandi to attack security forces by
planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in trees
prompting the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to train its
personnel with the help of army in detecting and defusing
them.
Forces like CRPF and Border Security Force (BSF),
deployed in anti-Maoist operations in states like
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orrisa, have encountered IEDs hung
from the branches of trees along their patrolling tracks.
A classified report prepared by one of the formations
has stated that Naxals are now tying IEDs on branches of trees
at a height of about 4-5 feet.
The IEDs are placed on trees with the intention to
exploding them when security forces patrol jungle areas.
"The IEDs are kept on such trees which have thick
foliage thereby concealing their presence. Such IEDs bring
about deadly injuries on the head and upper torso of police
personnel," a senior officer involved in anti-naxal operations
in Chhattisgarh said.
The officer said that it has become a "double trouble"
for the troops as they now have to be alert about explosives
embedded in the ground as well as on trees.
Hit by the impact of these IEDs, the CRPF has recently
tied up with the Army to train its personnel in detecting and
defusing them.
The Army's College of Military Engineering (CME) in
Pune has begun training CRPF commanders and other officers in
dealing with IEDs of various kinds.
IED explosions have killed more than 150 jawans and
officers of CRPF, BSF, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and
state police personnel in the last few years and have maimed
hundreds others.
IEDs have been found hidden at the depth of more than
15 feet in many cases and various detecting devices like 'dip
sticks' and sniffer dogs have failed to be foolproof.
A number of patrol parties, both on foot and on
vehicles, have fallen prey to these deadly explosives which
are sometimes as heavy as 80kg.