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Jamshedpur, March 12 (Source: The Telegraph): Paramilitary forces engaged in Operation Greenhunt have a problem in their hands — they are finding it difficult to tell rebels from villagers in Naxalite-hit Ghatshila sub-division of East Singhbhum.

Taking full advantage of the fallout of poor intelligence networking and lack of fool-proof information, late on Monday night a squad of armed rebels managed to sneak away in Burudih on the Bengal border. “Such casual attitude on part of the forces amid the operation paints a negative picture. This should not happen,” a senior police official said on condition of anonymity.

East Singhbhum senior superintendent of police Naveen Kumar Singh confirmed the incident but refused to elaborate. “There was some confusion among officials engaged in anti-insurgency operations. The police and paramilitary forces allowed a squad of rebels to walk away as the officer in-charge mistook the rebels for villagers,”..

The police had raided the site near Burudih on intelligence inputs that an armed rebel squad was scheduled to pass through the location, sources revealed.

“It was 11pm when information about the plans of the rebels reached us. There was intelligence inputs that an armed squad of Naxalites was going to cross Burudih-Basadera stretch. This is a route used by them cross over from Ghatshila to Belpahari in Bengal,” a source said.

The police waited to ambush the squad under the cover of darkness as they expected the rebels to emerge from the Burudih side. Soon, a team of 15 Maoists, including a woman, came out of the jungles with torches in hand.

According to sources, police and paramilitary personnel had taken up position to strike but the commanding officer asked them not to move. “He (the commanding officer) seemed to be in a fix as he thought the group were simple villagers,” a source said.

It was only later that villagers told the police they were members of the squad. “Intelligence officials involved in the operation also provided same input to the police,” another source, who was part of the operation, added.

Nagrik Suraksha Samity (NSS) chief Shankar Chandra Hembrom said the confusion on the part of the forces was going to harm the operation against the Maoists.

“Intelligence networking should be strengthened and the commanders should have adequate information about the identity of Maoists’ squad,” he said.