Rourkela, Aug. 24: Security forces on Monday unearthed a concealed Maoist arms dump in Silakuta Reserved Forest under K. Bolang police station limits in Rourkela, recovering a cache of weapons, explosives, ammunition and communication equipment, officials said.

Acting on information obtained during the interrogation of surrendered Maoists, a joint team of the District Voluntary Force (DVF) and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) launched a search and area-domination operation in the forested region.

During the operation, the security personnel unearthed the concealed dump and seized a CM 9mm 1A1 carbine, an IED container, 15 detonators and two magazines, among other items.

The seized materials also included a sling, a Motorola walkie-talkie, 20 rounds of 9mm ball ammunition, a Kaiweets KM100 digital multimeter, a battery charger, a walkie-talkie frequency device and a walkie-talkie pouch. Several additional pouches were also recovered from the site.

Officials described the recovery as a significant achievement in the ongoing anti-Maoist operations, saying the seizure could disrupt the outfit’s access to arms, explosives, communication equipment and other logistical resources.

The operation was part of intensified efforts by security forces to track Maoist activities and strengthen area domination across the forested pockets of the region.

Further search operations are expected to be conducted in the area to determine whether additional Maoist weapons, explosives or other materials remain concealed in the forest.