Maoist weapons cache unearthed in Chhattisgarh

A huge cache of explosives including 28 petrol bombs was today recovered during a search operation by security personnel in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Gariyaband district, police said.

At least 24 tiffin bombs and 28 petrol bombs were recovered from a Maoist dump in restive forests of Karlajhar village of the district, a senior police official said.

A team of district force was patrolling in the region when they got an input about the explosive dump of naxals near Karlajhar village following which they started cordoning off that area, he said.

Meanwhile they spotted the explosives hidden under bushes, the official said, adding that bombs were immediately destroyed by the security forces.
 
In a separate incident, a group of security forces had a close shave as Maoists detonated a powerful pipe bomb blast in Bijapur district of south Bastar.

No one was injured in the explosion.

The rebels exploded the pipe bomb near Tarrem village under Basaguda police station limits when a team of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action- an elite wing of CRPF -was patrolling in the region, the official said.

However, no harm was caused to the security forces in the blast, he added.