The Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) and the police discovered a huge cache of arms, ammunition, literature and training manual at a Naxal camp in Belthangady on Sunday.
The police and the ANF stumbled upon the arms during combing operations in Belthangady and the neighbouring Mudigere taluk to nab the Naxalites who were sighted on Saturday.
Pratap Reddy, inspector general of police (Western range), said it was the biggest catch in the recent times for any raid by the ANF or the police. He said now that the Naxals’ arms and ammunition were seized, their firepower had come down.
Sources in the ANF were not able to tell from where the Naxalites got so much of armaments. Also, they could not tell if the Naxalites had procured the armaments for some specific purpose and when all these aspects would be investigated.
Sources in the ANF said the country-made pistols recovered at the camp were crude and could be made locally, while the grenades had the potential to cause serious damage.
Combing operations have been intensified since Saturday. ANF at Karkala and Chikmagalur were also taking part in the operation.
Sadashiv Choudhury, the wounded ANF jawan, is recovering at Belthangady hospital.
