Calcutta, July 27: The “pinpoint” information that helped the joint forces bust a Maoist camp yesterday came from CPM cadres who have recently set up armed bases in rebel-dominated areas of West Midnapore, according to police sources.

Nearly every one of these 50-odd camps are near police camps, which means the joint forces can rush to their aid if they are attacked by the rebels.

Police sources said most of these camps set up by the cadres were located in Goaltore, Salboni, Dherua, Bhimpur, Jamboni, Bhalukbasha and Binpur, all areas with a substantial Maoist presence.

Apart from acting as a deterrent for the Maoists, these camps also help the cadres collect information about the movement of the rebels and alert the police.

“We received specific tip-offs before our raid in the Ranja forest last month as well as yesterday’s raid in the Metala forest. Both proved successful as we managed to kill several Maoists on both occasions,” West Midnapore police chief Manoj Verma said.

Among the six Maoists killed yesterday was Sidhu Soren, a top leader whose writ ran over vast swathes of the rebel belt.

Eight Maoists were killed in the June 16 encounter in the Ranja forest near Lalgarh, the joint forces’ biggest success yet against the rebels in Bengal. Although the government has not given official sanction to these CPM camps, they are known to enjoy the administration’s backing. Sources said these armed camps also help cut off back-up support for the Maoists during encounters with the forces.

It’s not that the cadres haven’t counted losses. Police sources said some of them have also been killed in clashes with the rebels. “Sometimes we find bodies lying inside the forests that cannot be identified,” an official said. “We believe these are bodies of CPM cadres who have come from outside the district to lend support to their comrades here.”

The sources said the CPM set up the first camp at its party office in Enayatpur, near Dherua, last September and put up bunkers all around it and even on the rooftop and the balconies.

Shortly after, armed cadres stationed there successfully pushed back a group of Maoists trying to enter Midnapore town. The Maoists had to flee after massive firing from the party office.

Police officials said they had information that Maoist action squad leader Bikash was injured in the firing and had to be taken to Jharkhand for treatment.

Encouraged by this, the CPM set up more armed camps in different parts of Maoist-infested areas where the police have a significant presence. The sources said the arms the cadres use include AK-series rifles so that they can match the firepower of the Maoists.

Supplies reach the camps from neighbouring states, and are sometimes routed through Calcutta.

According to police sources, a consignment of 5,000 cartridges intercepted by Calcutta police recently was meant for the CPM camps. The consignment was coming from Bihar.

While the police identified the person in Patna who supplied the ammunition, they were silent on who the cartridges were meant for.

Four persons were arrested in connection with the haul. All of them are in judicial custody now.