Sasaram (Bihar): A massive combing operation was underway on September 9 by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Special Task Force (STF) and the police in the dense Kaimur forests to ferret out People's War and Maoist Communist Centre cadres responsible for the September 8 landmine blast, which left 11 policemen dead in Rohtas district.

Deputy inspector general (Shahabad Range) K K Bhatt said all police stations in the district were on maximum alert, with the combing operations being supervised by inspector general of police, Patna zone, A C Verma, superintendent of police of STF Vinay Kumar Singh, besides himself.

The two banned outfits had on September 8 set off the landmines near Dabua in the thickly wooded Kaimur Range, about 90 km from here targeting a private vehicle carrying officer in-charge of Chutia police station Vijay Kumar Tudu.

They also took away six rifles, a revolver and a large quantity of ammunition.

Meanwhile in Patna, the Bihar Policemen's Association (BPMA) regretted the lack of sophisticated weapons with the police force to take on the naxalites.

Policemen are being killed by naxalites who have better arms. Despite several reminders, the government has not provided latest weapons to the police to take on the ultras particularly in the naxal- hit areas, BPMA General Secretary K K Jha said.

He alleged that the government has not paid compensation to family members of policemen killed fighting ultras and criminals in the recent past.

PTI