Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Mar 16: The combing operation being conducted in Malavantige village and surrounding areas since last Saturday, has been temporarily suspended. An investigation as to how naxals, whose presence or activities in the area had never come to light, got foothold here, and reasons behind the programme conducted by naxals, are being investigated now.

The policemen swear that it is impossible to organize a large gathering of naxals at this place without the support of locals. It may be recalled that on the morning of March 10, the naxals had made good their escape after firing at the Anti Naxal Force (ANF), which was combing the area. ANF personnel, Sadashiva Chaudhary, had been injured in the attack. He is recovering now.

The policemen had recovered huge cache of grenades, ammunition, cooking items, naxal literature, clothes, etc from the spot. Based on information that naxals from other states had also come to attend the gathering, intelligence officials from Kerala and Tamil Nadu visited the taluk and gathered details, before returning.