Tiffin bombs recovered from a Maoist dump in Rahaganda forest. Telegraph picture

Berhampur, Sept. 11: Personnel of the CRPF unearthed a Maoist arms dump in Ganjam’s Rahaganda forest within Sorada police limits, 90km from here, during a combing operation on Wednesday.

“Three tiffin bombs, five soap case bombs, 40 Maoists booklets in Odia, one Operation Green hunt uniform, 1 pithu (rucksack), one clock and some expired medicines were recovered from the dump during the combing operation,” said Ganjam police chief Asish Singh.

Bombs and improvised explosive devices (IED) were destroyed on the spot by bomb disposal squads, he said. Rahaganda forest borders on Kandhamal. CRPF jawans of the 127 Battalion were carrying out the combing operation since September 10.

Security personnel had come across a Maoist camp in Ganjam’s Nipapidi forest, within Sorada police limits, in a combing operation in December last year. Four powerful landmines and 25 metres of electric wires used to prepare IEDs had been seized from the spot. While two landmines weighed around 20kg, the other two weighed around 15kg each. Besides, a dozen detonators and 20 polythene sheets had also been recovered.

After eliminating top Maoist leader Pradeep Majhi in an encounter, security forces had intensified combing operations on the border of Ganjam by inducting more forces in March. CRPF and Special Operations Group personnel had joined the District Volunteer Force and local police to carry out the anti-Maoist operation in the border area.

In May, the police had busted a Maoist camp in Kandhamal’s Pakri forest and recovered arms and ammunition, including one-and-a-half kg of explosives. The other articles seized were a bullet-proof jacket, two Maoist uniforms and belt, around 150 grams of iron shards, black powder and one khanjani, a musical instrument.