Maoists blow up 12 forest department buildings in Jharkhand

In West Singhbhum district, 12 buildings of the forest department were blown up by suspected Maoists, police said on Sunday.

According to Superintendent of Police Indrajeet Mahatha, a group of armed Maoists had barged into the buildings in Berkela forest area of the district on Saturday night and asked all staffers to vacate the premises.

Several employees were also beaten up by the miscreants, and warned of consequences if they informed the police, he told PTI.

The Naxalites then blew up the buildings, located one after another in the forested area, with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Mahatha said.

"Preliminary investigation showed that the Maoists had also felled trees in the forest to prepare a route, which they would have possibly used to attack the security forces," the SP said.

A massive search operation is underway in the forest, and more details will be available after further investigation, he added.