Naxals 'form' new unit to perpetrate acts in Telangana

NEW DELHI: In some alarming news for security agencies tackling Left-wing extremism, forces operating in the anti-Maoist operations grid have detected that the red ultras have recently formed a new unit to perpetrate their violent acts in the new state of Telangana.

Officials privy to information in the Maoist violence affected areas of Andhra Pradesh-Chhattisgarh axis have received inputs that Naxals have raised a 'Special Zonal Committee' which is tasked to operate in the border areas of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and other states and subsequently increase their activities.

"There is no cause for alarm as of now but some incidents in areas like Bhadrachalam in Khammam district have taken place since the creation of the state. Security agencies are keeping a watch," an official source said.

According to the source, as there is no large-scale deployment of central security forces in the state, some sporadic incidents of Naxal violence could be expected although on a smaller scale.

"The Naxals have formed a special zonal committee to operate in the state and there have been some reports about their violent activities and liaisons," the source said, adding the state shares borders with Naxal-hit states like Chhattisgarh and some parts of Maharashtra.

Sources said security forces led by the CRPF have tracked some instances of Maoists taking shelter in the forests of Khammam and adjoining areas after conducting their illegal activities in neighbouring states.

Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh last year. Officials said while security forces conducting anti- Naxal operations are concentrating their energies in worst Maoist-affected states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha among others, Naxal activities in West Bengal have been on the slide.

They, however, said that the state, sometime back, had asked for about three more battalions of central forces for deployment in some areas.