DGP DK Pandey on Thursday said that police, taking lessons from Wednesday’s attack, will carry out anti-Naxal operations in future.
Pandey, while talking to media persons in Palamu, also announced that a police picket will be established at Kalapahari. The DGP later visited the spot where the blast took place on Wednesday.
“Taking lessons from yesterday’s blast, the police will carry on further operations against the rebels in the state. Operations will be conducted in the area after sealing the borders of Jharkhand and Bihar,” said the DGP. According to the DGP, the motive behind conducting anti-Naxal operations is to keep the state secured and also to provide strength to the developmental work being carried out in the State.
It could be possible only if the rebels are dragged away from the state, added Pandey.
The DGP, along with the other top police officials, visited Palamu on Thursday to pay tribute to the seven policemen who died in the bomb blast triggered by the Maoists at Chattarpur in Palamu.
According to police, out of seven policemen who died in the blast, three constables were natives of Palamu district, 2 were from Garhwa, 1 from Hazaribagh and the Chaukidaar was a local of Hussainabad.
“Intensive search operation in coordination with the police in Bihar has been initiated in the area as the incident took place very close to the Bihar borders. Role of Nitesh, Ajay and Mithilesh squad of CPI (Maoist) is being suspected in the attack,” said ADG (Operations) and Jharkhand Police Spokesperson SN Pradhan.
Pradhan further added that single IED was triggered under Tata 407 carrying 13 police personnel out of which 7 succumbed to their injuries. Blast was followed by firing for at least two hours, he added.
No weapons however, were taken away by the attacking Maoists, he said.
According to Pradhan, MI 17 helicopter of AIR Force was used for the first time during night for casualty evacuation and the injured policemen were successfully airlifted from Chianki airfield.
“Despite having adverse conditions, injured policemen were taken to Ranchi by the brave pilots of Air force for which Jharkhand police will ever remain grateful to them,” said Pradhan.
Suspected CPI (M) rebels had blown up a police van carrying 13 persons in Kalapahar area of Plamau district killing seven policemen and seriously injuring six. The incident took place under Chhatarpur police station of Palamu on Thursday evening when a van carrying the State police persons was coming back to the district headquarters, said police.