Maoists blast landmines;forces advance towards naxal-held area

Amitava Roy
Kadasole (West Bengal), June 27 (PTI) India's security
forces Saturday continued their offensive to drive out Maoists
from the trouble-torn area in West Midnapore district in
eastern state of West Bengal where the naxals put up a stiff
resistance and detonated three landmines.
A day after reclaiming fresh territory from Maoists at
Kadasole, security forces began heading towards Mohultol
village on the way to the naxal stronghold of Ramgarh.
The forces faced stiff resistance at Mohultol village
from Maoists who detonated three landmines and CRPF commandos
retaliated them with firing from mortars, Light Machine Guns
and AK-47s, officials said.
Maoists also fired from country-made guns at the
forces from the jungles, senior officers told a visiting PTI
correspondent at Mohultol, a small hamlet surrounded by dense
forest on the way to Ramgarh from Goaltor.
DIG CID (Special Operations Group), S N Gupta said the
operations have entered a critical phase with fierce
resistance anticipated from Maoists and tribals under People's
Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA).
On Friday, the security forces captured Kadasole after
a 45-minute encounter. The forces are heading for Lalgarh from
the north in the second phase of the offensive with the
immediate destination being Ramgarh, a Maoist stronghold.
The security forces had liberated Lalgarh police
station from Maoists on June 20. PTI