CoBRA men trap Maoists in their den.

THE DEATH of six commandos in an offensive against Naxalites in Chhattisgarh should not be seen as a reverse. The Centre feels security forces for the first time stormed the Maoist stronghold, setting the stage for a bigger, bolder strike.

At least 24- 30 Naxalites were killed in the offensive in the dense jungles of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh, an official in the ministry of home affairs ( MHA) said.

" Retreating extremists took away most of the bodies. Security forces found nine bodies. We have the Naxalites on the backfoot now... they are feeling the pressure," the official said.

Six commandos of CoBRA or Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, an elite anti- Naxalite force, died battling Maoists, as part of Operation Green Hunt that began on Friday and continued on Saturday.

The Centre, which has lost a record 260 securitymen to Naxalites this year, feels the tables are finally turning.

For the first time, MHA officials say, security personnel in large numbers -- almost 600 men -- could enter the Naxal stronghold on the border of Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to launch a strike and bust a factory that produced guns for the Maoists.

" This lays the foundation for a bigger offensive to follow. Naxalites are for the first time worried about their losses and were forced to retreat," said Chhattisgarh DGP Vishwaranjan.

Naxalites control nearly 40,000 sq km of countryside -- mainly in Dantewada -- on the Chhattisgarh- Orissa- Andhra Pradesh border, Union home secretary G. K. Pillai recently told a parliamentary panel.

The MHA, planning a big offensive in November, is moving five BSF battalions and two ITBP battalions to Chhattisgarh next month to bolster the strength of 14 CRPF battalions stationed there for anti- Naxalite operations.

" Eighteen more CoBRA teams will join the battle. Crucially, BSF intelligence units have also set up their base in Chhattisgarh. We expect them to provide pinpoint intelligence on Naxalite hideouts," a top MHA official said.

Whether to enlist the Rashtriya Rifles in the battle is still being debated. The Indian Air Force has assured to provide four- six choppers for ferrying paramili- By Aman Sharma in New Delhi tary forces.

" Twelve helipads are being constructed in Chhattisgarh. The civil aviation ministry has also been asked to make Raipur airport operational at night to allow 24X7 operations," the official said.

In all, 22 paramilitary battalions are being pushed into Naxalaffected states next month to supplement the existing 40 battalions there. " That means there will be almost 75,000 securitymen deployed for taking on Naxalites in November. The forces will move in after the Maharashtra polls are over," the official said.

The initial strike at the arms factory between Kistaram and Chintagufa villages by a joint team of CoBRA and the Chhattisgarh Police on Friday morning was successful and left 24 Naxalites dead.

But CoBRA suffered casualties that evening as some of their wireless messages being radioed to Jagdalpur base were apparently intercepted by Naxalites, who launched a guerrilla attack.

Two CoBRA assistant commandants, S. Manoranjan Singh and Rakesh Chaurasia, were killed along with sub- inspector Sushil Kumar and constables Lalit Kumar, Manohar Lal and Uday Kumar.

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