Times Now

Kolkata, Jun 18: Central forces on Thursday began their operations to flush out Maoists from villages in Lalgarh in West Bengal. Fifty villages in and around Lalgarh in West Midnapore district have been captured and declared a ‘free zone’ by Maoists.

Setting up their base camps around Lalgarh, central forces along with state police began closing in on Lalgarh early on Thursday morning. Four to five base camps at strategic locations have been set up with the objective not to concede any more areas to the Maoists. Maoists have formed a three-tier human shield with women and children in the vanguard, men behind them and armed naxals forming the rearguard, according to a senior police official. Sources say the forces want to minimize casualties and will thus move slowly.

Conceding to pressure from the centre the state government had ordered the police to lead the operation with assistance from the central forces. Five companies of CRPF and 8 companies of BSF will help the state police in this operation. The elite Cobra force is also on standby.