Maoists appear to have changed their strategy in the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) region.
Of late it is noticed that the banned organisation has been focussing more on landmines, both for attacking the security forces and also adopting them as a defence and deterrent for the forces, who are engaged in aggressive combing operation. This is evident from the recent blast and unearthing of two claymore mines.
Landmines have always been the Maoists’ mainstay against the forces, but now it appears that they have increased their dependence on them, said the Superintendent of Police, Visakhapatnam, B. Krishna Rao.
Maoists have been using both indigenously made pressure mines and claymore mines, which can be remotely operated.
The landmine culture in Visakha Agency began with the blasting of a police jeep in Lothugedda in Chintapalli mandal, in which about seven policemen were killed on August 8, 1997. Ever since then, there were many blasts. Instead of engaging their cadres, they are using militia members, who can pass off as villagers, in planting and detonating them, said Mr. Rao.
LTTE connection
Way back in mid-1990s, the Maoists, then known as Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People’s War or People’s War Group (PWG), learnt the use of landmines from the then Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Over the years, they have innovated and now they can make an IED or landmine using a simple iron bucket or metal tiffin box.
The main factories of the Maoists are based in Chhattisgarh, and the mines and IEDs are smuggled into the AOB region. They also maintain dumps in the AOB and use them as and when required, the official said.
On August 2, two tribal people from Chintalaveedhi area of Pedabayalu mandal were killed when they accidentally stepped on a landmine planted by Maoists, targeting the security forces during Martyrs’ Week. On Wednesday, the police unearthed two claymore mines in Pedapadu village in GK Veedhi, which were later defused.
Now a days, instead engaging their own cadres, which was done earlier, they are training the militia members to plant them and as well as detonate them, said Mr. Krishna Rao.
Claymore mines are said to be more effective, as they are planted and detonated over the ground horizontally. The range of claymore is more, as the ball bearings and nails fly horizontally, cutting through metal and flesh. Claymore mines were used in the blast targeting former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in Alipiri in October 2003.
