Maoist dump yields arms, ammo cache in Kandhamal

Berhampur: Security forces have seized a huge cache of arms, ammunition and explosives from a Maoist dump in the forest areas in Kandhamal district’s Baliguda police station limits, police said on Thursday.

“Acting on information obtained from surrendered Maoists, a multi-party operation was carried out in Gangapadar, Kodamaha, Pajimaha, Tengeri and Balimaha areas by the Special Operation Group and District Voluntary Force on Wednesday and unearthed the Maoist dump,” said SP (Kandhamal) Ramendra Prasad on Thursday.

An SLR rifle, two SBGL guns, a country-made UBGL gun, SBGL grenades (10), SLR magazines (1), ball ammunition (16), electric detonators (30), one bundle of codex wire and several other Maoist belongings like civil dresses, slippers, a plastic drum, medicine kits, pencil batteries were recovered from the dump, he said.

The SP said during the operation, they adopted all necessary precautionary measures and the bomb disposal squad conducted a systematic search of the area suspecting planting of IEDs by rebels. “The recovered arms, ammunition, explosives and other incriminating materials belonged to the Maoists,” he said.

The tribal-dominated Kandhamal district had been declared Maoist-free by March 31, 2026, as per the target assigned by Union home minister Amit Shah. The combing and search operation, however, is being carried out in suspected areas by the security forces, including SOG, DVF, CRPF and BSF, to detect and recover arms and ammunition of rebels suspected in hiding in dumps to prevent resurgence in their activities, he said.

Ten Maoists were killed in the district in encounters with security forces between Jan 2025 and March 2026. Ganes Ukai, the central committee member, was killed on Dec 25 last year in the encounter. A total of 24 Maoists surrendered before the police during the period. The surrendered Maoists included the state committee members of the CPI (Maoist), Sukru and Nitu, police said.