The massive combing operation carried out by the Orissa police against the Maoists, who unleashed mayhem in Nayagarh town on February 15, seems to have reached a dead-end amid fears that the rebels may have slipped out of the state.The combing operations in Gosama hills in Kandhamal district — one of the hotspots where the Maoists were reportedly sheltered — have been scaled down. The CRPF has not been participating in the operation for the last couple of days. The combing operations saw men drawn from a unit of Greyhounds from Andhra Pradesh, paramilitary forces and a joint task force. Two Indian Air Force Chetak helicopters had also been requisitioned by the state Government since February 17 for flushing out the Maoists from the hill terrains of Nayagarh, Ganjam, Kandhamal and Rayagada districts.The police claimed to have recovered more than 50 per cent of the stolen arms. However, a senior police officer admitted that the weapons mostly comprised 303 rifles and ammunition. The Maoists, about 500 of them, had looted three police stations and made away with more than 1,100 weapons, including pistols, light machine guns, AK-47s, SLRs and INSAS rifles. The police have not had anything to show as their success except for the recovered ammunition and arms, many of which the Maoists torched before abandoning them.Although combing is on in Kandhamal by the Special Operations Group (specially trained to take on radicals), police sources said the helicopters have been taken off and the Greyhounds had returned to Andhra Pradesh. The reason for keeping away the CRPF personnel is attributed to the fatigue factor because of the prolonged operations. A large number of villagers had fled the Gosma hills because of the operations and had been sheltered in a school building in Nidhiaberena village, about 3 km away.The villagers come out in the daytime to take their food and return to their village in the night. According to a police officer, the villagers have started returning as the combing operations have been scaled down.Director General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda told The Indian Express that they have achieved some success. About the possible casualties among the Maoists, he said it was not possible to say anything as they had carried away the bodies. Raiding Red fort• Hotspots: Nayagarh, Ganjam, Kandhamal and Rayagada districts of Orissa• Strike force: Greyhounds from Andhra, paramilitary forces and a joint task force. Two Indian Air Force Chetak helicopters are also pressed into service• Cut-down: A CRPF unit withdrawn because of fatigue factor
