In a major breakthrough against Left-Wing Extremism, security forces have recovered a huge cache of sophisticated weapons, explosives, and other materials from the remote Padia region of Odisha’s Malkangiri district. Police said the arms and ammunition belonged to Maoists and were allegedly stored for future attacks.
Search Operation Leads to Discovery
A few days ago, security personnel had detected a Maoist dump in the Kerimiti area of Mathili block. Continuing their anti-Maoist operations, District Voluntary Force (DVF) personnel launched a search operation on Monday in the forested areas of Silakota, Perwai, and Keskaguda under Padia police station limits.
The operation was carried out based on intelligence provided by a recently surrendered Maoist. During the search, security forces located and recovered a large Maoist dump hidden deep inside the forest.
Huge Quantity of Weapons and Explosives Seized
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinod Patil H and Additional SP R.K. Das shared details of the seizure.
The recovered cache included:
- One Sten Carbine
- One pistol
- One SBML gun
- One 12-bore firearm
- Three tiffin bombs
- One 1-kg landmine
- One 6-kg landmine
- Twenty UBGL grenades
- Fifty-three live 12-bore cartridges
Apart from weapons and explosives, police also recovered several items used in the manufacture and operation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including telescopes, codex wire, electric cables, batteries, solar equipment, multimeters, wire cutters, drums, nuts and bolts, sandpaper, red cloth, testers, and other materials. In total, 29 different items were seized during the operation.
Linked to Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee
According to police, the recovered materials are believed to belong to the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) Special Zonal Committee of the Maoist organization. Investigators suspect that the weapons and explosives had been stockpiled for future insurgent activities in the region.
Continued Crackdown on Maoist Activities
Police officials highlighted the success of ongoing anti-Maoist operations in the district. Between January 2025 and March 2026, Malkangiri Police arrested two Maoists, while 23 insurgents surrendered before the authorities.
Security forces, including DVF and Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel, continue to conduct regular combing and search operations in Maoist-affected areas. Although Maoist influence in the district has significantly declined, police said surveillance and anti-insurgency operations will continue to prevent any resurgence of extremist activities.
Security Forces Remain Vigilant
Officials emphasized that sustained intelligence-based operations and the growing number of Maoist surrenders have weakened the insurgent network in Malkangiri. However, security agencies remain on high alert to ensure that Maoist elements do not regain a foothold in the region.