55 Naxalites held in special drive

Aurangabad, Nov 3 (UNI) Altogether 55 Naxalites were arrested from various places under different police station areas in 2008 during a special drive launched in the district to contain growing activities of disruptive forces.

Superintendent of Police Ganesh Kumar told UNI today that 200 policemen were especially trained for the purpose and deployed in Naxalite-affected interior areas of the district to carry out the special drive.

''They were trained to handle sophisticated weapons besides, neutralising explosives and landmines often planted by the rebels to attack policemen and civilians in their areas of influence,'' he added.

''During the special drive,55 Naxalites, some of them master-brains behind several massacres in Aurangabad and surrounding districts, were arrested in the special drive,'' he said.

Altogether 32 countrymade pistols, three guns, 2204 cartridges and three powerful bombs were recovered during the drive, Mr Kumar said, adding he had written a letter to state police headquarters to provide resources for modernisation of the security forces to counter the growing Naxal threat in the district.

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