2.5 tonnes of Maoist explosives recovered in Odisha’s Sundargarh forests

Bhubaneswar, June 2: In a significant breakthrough in anti-Maoist operations, security forces on Monday recovered nearly 2.5 tonnes of explosive materials hidden by Maoist insurgents in a remote forest near Koida in Odisha’s Sundargarh district.

The massive seizure was the result of a joint operation by personnel of the COBRA Battalion, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Special Operations Group (SOG), launched after receiving credible intelligence inputs about Maoist presence in the region.

According to officials, the explosives were discovered in the dense Tiriliposh forest, under Jareikela police station limits. The Maoists had buried the cache deep underground, making it difficult to detect through routine aerial or ground surveillance. The operation involved extensive combing of the area with metal detectors and sniffer dogs.

The seized cache contained various types of explosives, suspected to have been stockpiled for launching large-scale attacks on security forces, public infrastructure, or civilian areas. Experts are currently analysing the composition and origin of the materials.

Authorities are also investigating whether this cache is linked to the explosives looted from another location in Sundargarh district last week. Security forces have intensified surveillance in the region.