Orissa attack shows a major upgrade in Naxalite firepower

Seven of the 39 missing jawans of the Greyhounds, the elite anti-Naxalite force of Andhra Pradesh whose motorboat came under attack from Maoists while crossing a reservoir on the Orissa-Andhra border yesterday, were found safe early this morning in the adjoining forests. The body of Udaynath, a constable from Warangal, was found trapped beneath the capsized motorboat where Navy divers were searching the waters for the others still missing.

The ferocity of the attack in Orissa’s Malkangiri district has stunned teams engaged in anti-Naxal operations with officers pointing to a significant upgrade in the rebel firepower. From their positions atop a hillock surrounding the Balimela reservoir, Maoists opened up on the Greyhounds with grenade launchers, light machine guns and automatic weapons.

Orissa IGP Manmohan Praharaj, in-charge of anti-Naxal operations, said: “The Maoist strength is on the rise. The attacks are becoming more audacious, there is layer formation, more meticulous planning. They have more firepower.”

A senior police officer posted in southern Orissa said the Maoists used grenade launchers. “The rebels had looted grenade launchers and light machine guns during a raid on the Nayagarh armoury in February. It was obvious that they would use these weapons and not limit themselves to landmines. The manner in which the Maoists attacked proves their lethal power is intact,” the official said.

Officers said they were worried that Maoists had graduated from landmines to grenade launchers. Yet they conceded they had seen it coming. “We know for sure the Maoists have very sophisticated weapons. We knew about it at least three months ago. The firepower is almost equal. They have got what we have,” an officer said.

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For first time, United States made gun seized in the Valley

For the first time in the Valley, a US-made gun has been recovered from militants killed in an encounter three days ago. While militants have been known to use Chinese, Russian and Japanese weapons in the state, security forces had never recovered one of US origin.

The gun its butt burnt has markings of Colt's Firearms, Colt Industries, Hartford, USA, etched on its body, right above the trigger.The black plastic magazine, recovered intact, has markings of THERMOLD D.& D INC WILSON, N.C., USA.

The police said the gun has 22 rounds of slim but long bullets in its magazine, and is probably an SMG (submachine gun). Deputy Inspector General, Baramulla range, B Srinivasan said that they suspected that the gun was a used Pakistani army weapon.

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