A huge quantity of explosives, suspected to be left behind by Naxals, was found in Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Friday. Security forces have seized the explosives from Swabhiman Anchal.

Forces found the explosives during a combing operation at the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border, where personnel of the Special Operation Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) detected the dump of explosive materials.

“While the Jawans of SOG and DVF were carrying out a combing operation along Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border, they seized were huge explosive, drugs and materials dump in a forest near Maribeda and Nademanjari villages under Jodamba police limits in Swabhiman Anchal. The search operation has been intensified,” said Malkangiri SP Nitesh Wadhwani.

Besides, 19 jungle caps and a large number of medicines were also found, he added. It is suspected that the Naxals fled the area, leaving behind the explosives, due to the combing operation, the officer said. Officers suspect that the Naxals were active in the area for a long time and were planning to target the security forces and civilians. This is for the third time that the security forces have found Naxals materials in border areas in the past month.

Police suspect that these explosives belonged to Naxals cadres of AOBSZC (Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee).

In the wake of the seizures, further combing and search operations are underway in the area.