Kanker (Chhattisgarh): A group of Naxals torched seven vehicles in the insurgency-hit Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Tuesday. The vehicles were being used for road construction purposes between Haliner and Matala under Amabeda police station limits. Earlier, on March 5, Naxalites had set multiple vehicles on fire near Marapi village of the district. The insurgents having recorded the arson, uploaded the video on social media, and left a banner threatening the road contractor.
These incidents mark the return of Naxalite activity in the area after nearly 10 years and have created panic in the nearby villages. The area in question lies 20 km away from Kanker town, and 170 km away from the state capital, Raipur. Marapi and Kalamuche have no direct route connecting them, with residents relying on either an unpaved, rocky terrain for 30 km or a paved commute through a forested, hilly area for an extra 10 km.
The insurgent action has halted what otherwise was a long-pending demand as villagers had brought up the issue of lack of roads and had appealed to the Chief Minister as well as MLAs and MPs in the past. According to police, Naxals carry out major incidents between February and May. In March only, Naxals carried out 4 major incidents. These 4 months are called Tactical Counter of Offensive Campaign (TCOC) time of Naxalites. In the last 10 years, so far 250 soldiers have been martyred during TCOC.
The police also noticed that the Naxalites are more aggressive during the TCOC operation. Especially in the months of March-April and May, they show presence to harm the soldiers. During this, the commanders of large contingents of Naxalites are also active.
READ: Naxals sabotage road project, set fire to vehicles in Chhattisgarh's Kanker
