Latehar, May 4: In a fresh incident of Maoist violence, an armed squad targeted a mining survey site of Coal India’s associate company, the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI), in Jharkhand’s Latehar district. The Maoists set fire to eight vehicles and machines, including two drilling rigs, causing extensive damage, officials said.

The attack took place late Saturday night in a remote forested area of Torisat village, under Chakla Panchayat in the Chandwa police station limits.

According to preliminary reports, the Maoists opened fire to create panic and then torched two drilling machines, two pickup trucks, two cars, and two heavy trucks -- all reduced to ashes.

CMPDI had identified the site for an underground coal reserve survey, and preliminary drilling work was underway. Several workers were present on the site when the attack took place, but no injuries to workers have been reported so far.

The attackers reportedly remained at the location for about an hour before retreating into the forest.

Following the incident, Latehar Superintendent of Police (SP) Kumar Gaurav dispatched a police team, led by Balumath DSP Vinod Rawani, to the spot early Sunday morning. Security forces have launched intensive search operations in the surrounding areas to trace the attackers.

Multiple Maoist factions, including CPI (Maoist), TSPC (Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee), and Jharkhand Jan Sangharsh Mukti Morcha, are known to be active in Latehar, and initial suspicion points toward one of these groups.

The attack comes just days after another Maoist strike in Orsapath village, under Mahuadanr police station, where insurgents torched two vehicles at a road construction site and shot dead a worker, Munshi Ayub Khan.

Police believe these back-to-back incidents are part of a strategy by Maoist groups to instill fear and disrupt development activities in the region.

(IANS)

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