Maoists torch mobile tower in Jharkhand's Chaibasa, second such strike in three days

Chaibasa (Jharkhand), Oct 14 (IANS) Maoists set ablaze the mobile tower of a private company in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district late on Monday night, officials said on Tuesday. This is the second such incident in the district within three days.

According to police, a group of armed Maoists entered Bahda village under the Chotanagra police station area around midnight and warned residents to stay indoors.

They then poured petrol on the tower’s battery unit and control panels before setting it on fire.

The blaze triggered several explosions, completely destroying the equipment and disrupting mobile communication in a large part of the area.

The insurgents reportedly stayed in the village for nearly an hour after setting the mobile tower on fire and left behind posters and pamphlets threatening to avenge the deaths of their comrades in recent encounters with security forces.

The site of the incident is only a few km from both the Chotanagra police station and a nearby security camp.

Police reached the spot on Tuesday morning and launched a search operation.

The arson has caused panic among villagers, already on edge following a similar attack on another mobile tower in the Jaraikela police station area on the night of October 11-12.

The latest incident comes amid increased Maoist activity in the Saranda Forest region. On October 10, CRPF Head Constable Mahendra Lashkar was killed, and two officers were injured in a series of IED blasts carried out by Maoists there.

Officials said the attacks appear to be part of the Maoists’ ongoing “Revenge Week” (October 8-14), declared in protest against the killing of several of their cadres in recent security operations.

The group has also called for a shutdown on October 15 across five states -- Jharkhand, Bihar, northern Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Assam -- warning of “major action” if their demands are ignored.

--IANS

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