Arms Recovery Indicates Maoists Accumulating Long-Range Weapons In Abujhmarh
Recovered Maoist arms cache in Abujhmad, including rifles, grenade launchers and explosives, highlights rebels’ push for long-range strike capability in Bastar. Image courtesy: AI-generated picture via DALL-E
Security forces have recovered a massive cache of weapons and explosives following an encounter with Maoists in Abujhmarh, a core rebel stronghold in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region. Officials said the recovery indicates that Maoists were preparing advanced long-range weapon systems to target security installations.
The joint operation was launched on August 24 after intelligence inputs about the presence of a senior Maoist leader. Personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) participated in the operation, officials confirmed.
Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Robinson Guria said, “An encounter took place between our forces and Maoists, but they managed to escape. We suspect some of them may have been injured in the exchange.”
During subsequent searches, forces unearthed a large number of arms buried nearly two feet underground in different locations. The seized cache included a light machine gun (LMG), an AK-47, an INSAS rifle, a self-loading rifle (SLR), a 51mm mortar, a 9mm pistol, a country-made pistol, eight barrel grenade launchers (BGLs), three .303 rifles, four 12-bore rifles, 49 muzzle-loading guns, 10 bullets of .315 bore rifles, and 100 BGL shells. Explosive devices, including eight country-made grenades and a hand grenade, were also recovered.
Significantly, a Trichy Assault Rifle (TAR), an Indian-made firearm, was seized in Bastar for the first time, raising concerns about the Maoists’ expanding weapons supply chain.
Security forces also recovered two bundles of cordex wire, 141 bundles of safety fuses, GPS devices, detonators, remote switches, and raw explosive material sufficient to assemble more than 100 improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Three long pipes, each five feet in length, were found hidden at the site. According to surrendered Maoists, their technical wing was working on assembling long-range launchers capable of firing BGL shells at targets over 300 metres away.
Officials noted that Maoists have repeatedly attempted to target police camps with BGL attacks in the past, and the latest recovery highlights the rebels’ ongoing efforts to develop more destructive strike capabilities.
