Bhubaneswar/Rourkela: On Friday, security forces successfully retrieved a large cache of explosives that had been stolen by Maoists in Sundargarh district during a violent confrontation, according to police reports.

Approximately 200 packets of explosives, primarily gelatin sticks, were taken by armed Maoists at gunpoint in the K Balang police station area three days prior while they were being transported for rock blasting at a quarry. In response, law enforcement initiated a search operation to recover the stolen items. A collaborative effort involving nine teams from the Odisha Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) led to the discovery of the explosives in a dense forest in Jharkhand, roughly 3 kilometers from the Odisha border. Rourkela Superintendent of Police Nitesh Wadhwani confirmed the recovery, stating that no members of the search teams were injured during the operation.

The explosives were located near Tirilposh, adjacent to the Saranda forest, along the interstate boundary between Odisha and Jharkhand. Earlier, the Odisha Police had indicated that Maoists from Jharkhand were responsible for the theft of the explosives from a truck on Tuesday.

Reports indicate that around 30 armed Maoists hijacked the truck carrying the gelatin sticks, threatening the driver with firearms. Following the incident, Director General of Police YB Khurania and other senior officials visited the site, and a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) commenced an investigation.

In a swift response, security forces from both Odisha and Jharkhand, along with CRPF personnel, launched an extensive search operation to recover the stolen explosives. Additionally, the Odisha Police have established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to further investigate the incident. Meanwhile, ongoing gunfire has been reported between security forces and Maoist rebels in the dense forest along the Odisha-Jharkhand border.