Patna, July 2: The state police headquarters has decided to use a helicopter for aerial surveillance during combing operations launched against the Maoists in the thick forests of Munger and its neighbouring districts in eastern Bihar.

Director-general of police Neel Mani said a helicopter would be pressed into service to provide aerial assistance to security personnel engaged in combing operations in the wake of the killing of six members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes by Maoists in Munger district this morning.

Neel Mani said a helicopter of the Border Security Force (BSF) had been brought from Jharkhand. Additional director-general of police (law and order) P.N. Rai has been asked to go to Munger to monitor the combing operation. Rai later flew to Munger in the BSF helicopter.

The DGP said the personnel of the COBRA battalion, a specialised unit carved out from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for anti-Naxalite operations, would join the campaign against the Maoists in a day or two. In addition, two units of the special task force have been provided for the operation, he added.

Neel Mani said the state has at present 23 companies of the CRPF. “We are trying to mobilise forces from our own resources. If required, we will requisition for more central forces,” he said, adding that additional forces from Jamui and Lakhisarai districts have been rushed to Munger.

The DGP said state police had already floated tenders for hiring an MI-17 helicopter for anti-Naxalite operations. He also said the government would provide ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.

CID inspector-general Praveen Vashishta, who holds additional charge of Bhagalpur, and deputy inspector-general, Munger, Anil Kishore Yadav are camping in the district. IG (operations) K.S. Dwivedi has also been asked to camp at Munger, Neel Mani added.

The senior police officers are baffled by the new strategy of the Maoists to carry out the attack in Munger. For the first time, armed guerrillas of the banned outfit carried out the attack in the wee hours and that too in CRPF uniform. “We will analyse the Maoists’ new strategy at the meeting convened by the DGP at the headquarters on July 6,” a senior police officer said.