KOZHIKODE: The dense forest and the vast jungle regions in Wayanad with human habitats scattered around make it tough for Thunderbolt commandos to hunt down the Maoist cadre, according to top police officials.
Many feel that the Thunderbolt delay to reach out to the distant areas where Maoists are spotted help the cadre cross over to safe spots.
Referring to the failure of Thunderbolt in nabbing the cadre, a top cop of the state police said, “Do you know what a jungle warfare is?
There are many who ask why you don’t you nab them,” the official who preferred anonymity told DC. “We are accountable to many and we have to assess the strength of both sides before taking any action,” he added.
However, DIG north zone Dinendra Kashyap, who is in charge of Thunderbolt, Deccan Chronicle that there was only a small group of Maoist cadre who roamed the dense jungles.
The force had information earlier that the cadre owned AK 47 weapons. “The Maoist cadre had attacked a police camp in North India and looted AK 47 guns which are ideal for long-distance jungle treks as they are small, handy and lethal,” he added.
“Our force also has equally powerful weapons,” he said. However, Mr Kashyap dismissed reports that two women cadre opened fire at the commandos. “There are women among the cadre, but we were not sure about their role in the firing,” he said.
However, Mr Kashyap said that the strength of Maoist cadre was going down across the nation.
Even as Mr Kashyap claimed that the Thunderbolt had sufficient strength, many in the police force believe that the strength of commando force has to be increased for better surveillance of the jungle regions.
