Naxals used LMGs; hunt on to nab mastermind

A massive manhunt has been launched to nab Naxal leaders behind the Dantewada massacre as investigations into the worst-ever Maoist attack showed that the ultras had used light machine guns in killing 76 security personnel.

Sources in the team conducting the investigations said a survey of site of the attack showed that two LMGs had been used by the Naxals -- who were mainly from Company 3 and Company 8 of the Maoists Central Committee and led by Hidma and Papa Rao.

The LMGs might have been stolen from police forces in Andhra Pradesh or Orissa, the sources said.

Meanwhile, a massive manhunt has been launched to nab the red rebels, including their leaders, involved in the gruesome killing for which three names -- Papa Rao, Ramana and Hidma -- have emerged as prime suspects.

Born in Andhra Pradesh's Warangal district, 50-year-old Rao, a general Secretary of Maoists' Jagarbandhu area committee, is known to be the right hand man of Ramana, the Special General Secretary of Dandakarnya region. 75 CRPF men and a state police personnel were killed in the country's worst-ever Maoist attack in Chattisgarh.

Dandakaranya is the forest tract in the country's central-southern region covering parts of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra where the banned CPI (Maoist) virtually run a parallel government envisioning a "liberated" zone.

50-year-old Ramana hails from Warangal area, once the hotbed of Naxalites, and has been active in Dantewada region for long. He is involved in many strikes on security forces.

According to investigations, the sources said name of "Hidma", military advisor to the Jagarbandhu area committee, has also cropped up during investigations into the gory incident.

CRPF personnel, who were out on an operation against Naxals in thick forests, fell victims to the deadliest attack on April six morning. The security personnel were relaxing in Mukrana forests of Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, one of the strongholds of the naxals, when the attack took place between 6 AM and 7 AM on a batch of 82, including 81 CRPF personnel.

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