As the state Government makes claims of having “liberated” the Lalgarh police station and its surrounding areas, groups of armed Maoist squads continue to roam around the area where the security forces are posted at present. In Gaoltore and Lalgarh they are just half a kilometre from the police stations where the forces have set up base camps — holding meetings, taking positions.

The fact remains that out of 280 villages in the Lalgarh block, security forces have command over only three right now while of the 453 villages in Goaltore, they control only two. Maoists hold sway in the rest.

So, as they prepare for the second phase of the operations — which looks set to start from Friday — state and Central security forces expect it to be the toughest. ISRO’s help has been sought for satellite imagery to track movement of people around Lalgarh and the troubled regions.

According to informed sources, there are over 100 heavily armed Maoist cadres, and over 300 semi-trained cadres, stationed around the Lalgarh police station. There are also a few hundred local members of the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), who are armed and are with the Maoists, apart from villagers.

“This is a densely forested terrain and the Maoist squads are located in villages with commoners. We need to identify their positions along the various roads through which we will conduct our operations. We are getting all help from ISRO,” said a senior CRPF officer.

... contd.