Kantapahari, June 29: Early this morning, while police were marching towards Kantapahari both from Ramgarh and Lalgarh, Maoists struck along a 15km stretch from Pirakata to Goaltore, blocking it at eight places with tree trunks.

The police said it was the handiwork of Maoists hiding in the forest along the metalled road that had been cleared about 10 days ago.

“A lot more work needs to be done to fully secure the area,” said S.N. Gupta, DIG (operations), CID, who led the march from Goaltore that ended here today.

The police have identified four stretches that need to be “fully secured” within the next few days — Pirakata to Goaltore (15km), Lalgarh to Dherua (18km), Binpur to Belatikri (6km) and Lachhipur to Belatikri (10km).

Gupta said a meeting would be held tomorrow to figure out how many personnel should be sent to each of these places and where to set up camps.

On the Lalgarh-Dherua stretch, which has been dug up at six places and blocked with tree trunks at many more, the most important task would be to restore law and order at Dharampur.

The Binpur-Belatikri stretch, according to IG, traffic, B.P. Tarania, who led an operation there yesterday, is a minefield. “We covered a 2km stretch yesterday and found five of them.”

The last stretch, between Lachhipur and Belatikri, is a kuchcha track and the police believe the Maoists may have planted mines under the road itself.

The police said that they also have information that a section of the retreating Maoists have taken shelter here because it provides an easier getaway to Jharkhand.