Chaibasa, Jan 21 (IANS): A major Maoist plot to target security forces in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district has been thwarted. In a joint operation by police and security forces, 21 pressure IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) planted in the Karaikela police station area were successfully recovered, officials said.

Of these, 12 IEDs were two kg each, while the remaining nine weighed one kg each. Their detonation could have caused massive destruction.

Acting on the directions of Chaibasa Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashutosh Shekhar, the bomb squad defused all the devices. Additionally, security forces dismantled a Maoist dump in Serengada village, discovering 55 gelatin sticks which were likely intended for explosive use.

The operation was launched following intelligence inputs about the presence of a Maoist squad in the Podahat area. A coordinated effort involving 14 battalions from Chaibasa Police, CRPF, Cobra, and Jharkhand Jaguar was launched across the region. Reports suggested IEDs were planted at multiple locations in the forest to target security forces, necessitating extreme caution during the mission.

Earlier, on January 12, six IEDs were recovered from the forested and hilly areas between Tumbahaka and Bagan Gulgulda in the Tonto police station area of West Singhbhum.

Top leaders of the banned CPI Maoist organisation, including Misir Besra, Anmol, Mochu, Anal, Asim Mandal, Ajay Mahato, Sagen Angaria, and Ashwin, are believed to be operating with their squads in the Kolhan forest area of Jharkhand.

Jharkhand Police, in collaboration with central security forces, has intensified operations as part of a decisive campaign to eliminate Maoist influence. The Central government has set an ambitious target to eradicate Maoism from the state by March 2026.

Earlier this month, a seven-year-old girl was killed in a bomb blast on January 7 inside the Radhabeda forest in the West Singhbhum district of Chaibasa. Police said the improvised explosive device (IED) had been earlier planted by Maoists.