Naxalites on Saturday evening launched an attack in Riga block of Sitamarhi district in north Bihar bordering Nepal. Hundreds of Naxals raided the local police station, block headquarters and two branches of nationalised banks taking everyone by surprise busy settling accounts on the last day of the financial year. One SAP (Special Auxiliary Police) force jawan was killed and a bank employee injured in the attack.

The primary target of the Naxals was to loot the two banks but Home Commissioner Afzal Amanullah claimed that it was thwarted by the police.

According to reports, the Naxals first cut off the road link to Riga from Sitamarhi, some 10 km away, by blowing up a bridge. This prevented police reinforcements from the district headquarters to reach the spot. They then surrounded the police station, block headquarters and the two banks — Bank of Baroda and Central Bank branches — and started firing from sophisticated weapons.

Amanullah initially said the attack was serious but the exact situation was not known since communication lines with the block — phone as well as wireless — had been snapped.

However, he later claimed that the police force fought a pitched battle with the Naxals and prevented their plan to loot cash from the banks and police arms and ammunition.

“Our jawans thwarted the attempt of the Naxals”, Amanullah said. He said the police had intelligence reports about such an attack and therefore the force was alert. Reports said the SAP raised by recruiting retired army jawans repulsed the Naxal attack.

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