New Delhi [India], April 24 (ANI): In a significant move against Naxal insurgency, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Chhattisgarh Police (CGP) have successfully established a Company Operating Base (COB) at Nelangur, strategically located on the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border.

The newly set-up base marks a critical step in asserting dominance over the remote and previously inaccessible Abujhmad region, known to be a Naxal stronghold. Despite challenging terrain and operational difficulties, the security forces have managed to secure the area, dealing a major blow to the Naxal network.

Authorities believe the establishment of this COB will enhance surveillance and operational capabilities in the region, paving the way for increased development and improved security.

This achievement is a much-awaited gateway for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to reach the Maharashtra borders in the Abujhmad region in the anti-Left Wing Extremism (LWE) or Naxal operations.

The 41st and 45th Battalions of the ITBP and the Sector Headquarter Bhubaneswar have established the new COB in Nelangur in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh, which is considered to be under the influence of various naxal organisations.

The opening of the road network at the centre of the geographical centre of Abhujhmad and Narayanpur, in particular, is a great strategic development in the area in the fight against the naxals.

There have been five new COBs that have been opened by the ITBP since January this year to facilitate communication links towards Maharashtra to dominate the 'unknown' Abujhmad, which till now was known as the heart or capital of the Naxal movement in the country. Many naxals, OGWs and their sympathisers and members of the 'Jantana' sarkar surrendered before the ITBP and Police.

The numbers of such surrenders have been more than 100 and many have surrendered after seeing the presence of the Force in the area after approaching the officials in the newly established ITBP camps.

Officials in the ITBP said This is the shortest time period for the establishment of such numbers of COBs by any force in Chhattisgarh.

The approach to Maharashtra from Narayanpur will pave the way for development and better reach of the security forces and development agencies, which have been under the clutches of the Naxals for the last four decades. The forty-kilometre stretch is full of naxal presence and the functioning of the so-called naxal local parallel governments and liberated zones by the West Bastar division, North Bastar division and Maad division.

Under such challenging circumstances, officials said the ITBP managed to secure more than five camps with herculean efforts by the operating units. This is one of the swiftest developments by the security forces in the opening of any core naxal area in less than three months.

'The development will be crucial for connecting the communication link of the ambitious Bharatmala project of the road network that will facilitate the construction of road no. 130 D of the national highway project, which is pending due to a security vacuum in the area. This is going to connect Kondagaon to Allapalli in Maharashtra connecting Kutul, Mohandi, and Nelangur to Maharashtra borders towards Binagunda and Laheri,' said officials.

The ITBP, after establishing Mohandi COB, has four more COBs: Kodliyar, Kutul (which was considered the Naxals capital in Abujhmad), Bedmakoti and Padamkot to finally secure Nelangur. The Maharashtra border from Nelangur is just one kilometre now.

The Border Security Force has also been opening new COBs in north Narayanpur to reach Garhchiroli to facilitate better communication and road networks.

The ITBP has been deployed in Chhattisgarh since 2009 to deal with anti-naxal operations in Rajnandgaon. In 2015, the Force was further deployed in Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts. (ANI)