Jharkhand: CRPF, Police seizes arms and ammunition in Burha Pahar area

Latehar (Jharkhand) [India], February 4 (ANI): Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and Jharkhand Police recovered arms and ammunition on Friday after they nabbed a Naxal bunker in the Burha Pahar area. The Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajkumar Lakra while addressing the press said, “It is an extension of ‘Operation Octopus’ and was launched on January 31.

Under this operation, the District Police, CRPF, 209 CoBRA and Jharkhand Jaguar nabbed one light machine gun (LMG) and some other ammunition. These arms were found on small pathways under in a bunker.” While speaking about the ‘Burha Pahar’ area which is known for a Naxal base, DIG Lakra said, “The people of the villages that lie at the bottom of ‘Burha Pahar’, have faith in the administration now. Their belief in the system has enhanced and they are cooperating. “

“Earlier we had busted a bunker in which heavy arms were seized including improvised explosive devices (IED). In January, this is a better recovery,” added DIG Lakra. Earlier on Thursday, three personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force sustained injuries in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast on Thursday during a search operation in the forest area of Jokepani, Jharkhand, the CRPF officials said.
According to CRPF officials, they have also recovered 4 rifles, including LMG and the Jharkhand police.

“A search operation was launched by the joint team of 209 CoBRA and Jharkhand Police in the forest area of Jokepani, Nawatoli, Latehar, Jharkhand,” CRPF said in a statement adding that all the jawans have been evacuated and are getting medical treatment at Ranchi.

As the troops inched forward checking every suspected spot in the region, they recovered a huge quantity of arms and ammunition.
“The recovery included a 5.56 INSAS LMG, two 7.62 SLR Rifle, a 5.56 INSAS Rifle, 13 assorted magazines, and 470 assorted rounds,” it added. ‘Burha Pahar’ is a mountain range spread over 55 square kms known to be a Naxal bastion.

It touches Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur and Latehar as well as Jharkhand’s Garhwa districts, was captured in a joint operation of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) general duty battalions, its Naxal specialised wing CoBRA, Jharkhand Police and Jharkhand Jaguar– a special force of Jharkhand Police in September 2022 under ‘Operation Octopus’.