Naxals plan new guerrilla zone beyond Bastar Families take over Maoists’ bodies

CPI (Maoist) is reportedly working on a plan to create a new guerrilla zone along the ChhattisgarhMaharashtra-Madhya Pradesh border region as an “extension” to its current stronghold of Bastar, Naxal documents seized by security forces in a rebel camp have disclosed.

The proposed new red zone would support Maoists’ twin strategy of providing escape route to rebels in the face of intensifying counterinsurgency measures in Bastar in Chhattisgarh and reclaim it by engaging the troopers in the proposed “extended” guerrilla zone, the seized Naxal documents have revealed.

“The Naxal documents detailing the strategy on forming a new guerrilla zone as extended red zone of Bastar along border regions of three adjoining states has been recovered along with explosives during a raid on a Maoist camp in Chuikhadan forest along the border region of Malkangiri (Odisha): At least seven bodies of the 28 Maoists killed in the Monday’s police encounter at Bejhangiwada jungle between Ramgarh and Panasput in Chitrakonda area of the district were handed over to their family members on Wednesday after following all legal procedures.

Rajnandagaon district in Chhattisgarh and Balaghat district in MP,” sources in state intelligence bureau (SIB) said on Wednesday.

The proposed new guerrilla zone, nestled in Satpura hill range, is spread over eight districts in three states of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and MP. It will facilitate CPI (Maoist) to expand its base towards north and east of Bastar. Of the eight districts, Maoists have already established their base in Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh, Balaghat in MP and Gadchhiroli in Maharashtra.