Maoists surviving on looted weapons

 

 

IN a chilling revelation, the weapons recovered from the Thulthuli encounter in Abujhmad, Narayanpur, have exposed the decades-long pattern of insurgent attacks on security forces. Among the 11 identified arms is an INSAS rifle looted during the 2009 Madanwada ambush in Rajnandgaon, where the courageous SP Vinod Kumar Choubey and 29 personnel laid down their lives in the line of duty.

 

The Thulthuli operation, conducted a month ago, was a significant triumph for security forces, resulting in the neutralisation of 38 Maoists, including senior DKSZC member Niti alias Urmila. The massive cache of arms recovered includes sophisticated AK-47s, INSAS rifles, SLRs, LMGs, and UBGLs, many of which bear serial numbers linked to past ambushes that claimed the lives of 126 security personnel.

 

Among the identified weapons, an LMG from the 2017 Burkapal attack in Sukma, where 25 personnel were killed, and an AK-47 looted during the 2011 Jhara camp ambush in Narayanpur stand out. Another AK-47 has been traced to the 2018 Irpanar attack, where four personnel were martyred. The recovered INSAS rifle linked to SP Vinod Kumar Choubey’s ultimate sacrifice underscores the Maoists’ reliance on looted weapons to sustain their insurgency. Known for his indomitable spirit, Choubey was ambushed en route to counter a Naxalite assault on Madanwada, marking one of Chhattisgarh’s darkest days in its battle against extremism. The discovery also includes weapons from incidents such as the 2021 Tekulgudem massacre in Bijapur, which claimed 23 lives, and a 2003 raid on Geedam police station in Dantewada. These findings reveal the systemic looting of arms during ambushes, further illuminating the heavy toll exacted on the forces.