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During a search operation on July 13 in Barha Pahar, Jharkhand state, a team found items required for making IEDs, including 2.5 kilograms of explosives and 67 detonators. (News 18)
According to the field commanders, the Naxals are using these IEDs to protect their lair where the senior members of the committee live, but now they are deploying them to target the troops.
Next-level double-decker IEDs – which require a higher level of expertise and are more expensive – are the latest challenge for security forces in the red zones.
Naxals, who used to use either command explosive devices or counter-handling mechanisms that trigger pressure explosions, are now massively creating a deadly double mechanism to make sure there is no room for failure. Intelligence sources, while talking about such IEDs, said that they can be very dangerous as they leave no room for a failed attack. If one mechanism fails, another will cause an explosion. These IEDs are more efficient and can be wired or wireless.
According to the field commanders, the Naxals use these IEDs to protect their lair where the senior members of the committee live.
In a recent pickup, a large cache of weapons was seized by the Central Reserve Police Force and the local police in Barha Pahar in Jharkhand, which is now under the control of the security forces after three decades.
According to an official communication, during a search operation on July 13, a team found materials needed to make explosive devices, including 2.5 kilograms of explosives. The security forces, while searching the area carefully, found a wire connected to an explosive device. Furthermore, when the team locates the explosive device, it is found that it has another mechanism to cause an explosion, revealing the dual mechanism. The forces recovered 67 detonators from the site, revealing the size of the explosive devices that were to be manufactured by Naxals.
This is not an isolated case. In another case in Chhattisgarh, security forces found the same type of double automatic explosive device during search operations in January.
When News18 spoke to field commanders deployed in Naxal areas, they said the insurgents had used IEDs to protect themselves but were now deploying them to target troops.
“Barha Pahar, which used to be the den of Naxal leaders, was stuffed with such IEDs. They wanted to make sure that if troops attacked them, this double mechanism would fire blasts to stop them. Earlier, Naxals used these IEDs in very limited areas because they It requires more money. But now the entries and recoveries indicate that it is being used extensively to target troops,” a Cobra officer told News18.
Another officer with the Greyhound Police, a special forces unit of the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana police, said such IEDs required a very high level of expertise.
These IEDs are not used in all attacks but there is an increase in recoveries and items required to craft them. Since it requires more skill, Naxals seem to have hands to outfit it for use against troops,” the officer said.
Another CRPF official explained the dual mechanism’s function: “Suppose the Naxals set an improvised explosive device by digging trenches. This mechanism will trigger an explosion on command or at the push of a button. But if that fails, the vehicle pressure will trigger the explosion. Also, the Naxals can Choosing one mechanism based on the situation. It’s more dangerous because it’s a combination.”
According to the latest intelligence input – which was shared with government and central forces last month – the DEDs will be used by the Naxals as they are frustrated with their network shrinking in the states.
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