Sundergarh, Aug 11: Security forces recovered a landmine from the Saranda forest region near the Odisha-Jharkhand border during a joint anti-Maoist operation on Sunday.

The explosive was found in the Jareikela hills, just 10 kilometers from the Sundergarh district boundary.

According to reports, personnel from the CRPF, COBRA Battalion, and Jharkhand Police were on a combing operation when they located the landmine. Upon discovery, the landmine was safely defused and destroyed in the forest by trained bomb disposal units.

Saranda forest has long been a stronghold for CPI (Maoist) leaders, including top commanders like Misir Besra and Anmol. Security forces have intensified combing operations in the area to dismantle Maoist infrastructure and prevent further threats.

This recovery comes amid heightened tensions following recent landmine blasts in the region. On August 3, a railway worker was killed and another injured in a suspected Maoist-triggered explosion near Rengada in Sundargarh.

In another incident, a villager named Sao Barjo died after stepping on a landmine while returning from the forest near Baliba village.

Following the latest recovery, security forces have ramped up surveillance and anti-Maoist operations across the Saranda forest belt.

read more Odisha News