Wednesday, July 13 2005 11:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Authorities in Bihar are concerned over reports of LTTE imparting training to Nepalese Maoists and Naxalites in the state to raise human bomb squads for suicide missions and recent spurt in their activities in districts along the Indo-Nepal border.

The security establishment in Bihar went into a tizzy after the June 23 attack by Communist Party of India (CPI-Maoist) naxalites on the Madhuban police station, banks and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sitaram Singh's house in East Champaran district and the subsequent encounter in which 20 naxalites, two policemen and a bank guard lost their lives.

Dozens of weapons, around 100 rounds of ammunition, a landmine device with 17 kgs of explosives had been recovered from different places during the mop-up operation after the Madhuban incident.

The security men have captured more than 25 naxalites, including Maoist rebels from Nepal and a suicide squad member of CPI (Maoist).

The arrest of Dipak Choudhury, a suspected suicide squad member of the outlawed outfit, from the forest on Indo-Nepal border near Bagha in West Champaran district and subsequent unearthing of a Maoist training camp on a hill on July 9 strengthened the suspicion that naxalites were being trained in carrying out suicide attacks, a top Bihar police official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The state police headquarters here, however, maintain the intelligence inputs in this regard were being verified.

"We have gone through the reports but until and unless we get tangible evidence we can't say anything about it (the LTTE militants' running training camps on the border along Bihar). Moreover, no suicide attacks by Maoists have taken place so far," R R Verma, IG (Operation), said.

He said some pamphlets found after naxalite operation in Madhuban also warned of a major strike in North India.

"The naxalites appear to be trying to raise a large guerrilla army with the active involvement of the local youth," Verma said referring to the pamphlets that spoke of 'liberating' the people from state repression.

Governor Buta Singh had already gone on record describing the naxal problem as 'quite alarming' and sought deployment of Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and SSB on porous border to further step up patrolling and surveillance to check influx of Maoist rebels from Nepal and effectively curb Naxal activities.

"The state administration is also planning to requisition army helicopters which would be used by CRPF and STF commandos of the state police to patrol the skies on the border on a regular basis and locate the training camps of militants," state Home Secretary A K Biswas told PTI.

"A formal request has already been made by the state Government and we are awaiting a positive response from the Defence Ministry," Biswas said.