In their first major offensive inside a tiger reserve, Maoists damaged three forest range offices, set ablaze at least two motorcycles and beat up tourists and forest staff inside the Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary in Mayurbhanj district on Saturday evening. The Red rebels burnt down forest department establishments at Chahala, Dhudruchampa and Upper Barahkamuda, which boast of good animal presence and are located in the core area of the 2750 sq km reserve forest. The attackers also destroyed the VHF communication network situated at Meghasana, ensuring no information could immediately go outside the dense jungles. No one was seriously injured.
The armed ultras, split into groups of around 20 each, swooped down almost simultaneously on the three forest offices around 8.30 pm and tied up the forest staff before assaulting them. "They also beat up some tourists lodged at Chahala forest rest houses after mistaking them to be forest employees. But later they let off the tourists, most of whom were from neighbouring West Bengal, with a warning not to visit the place again," police, quoting eyewitnesses, said.
Though details about the extent of damage to government offices are still to trickle in, SP (Mayurbhanj) P S Ranpise told TOI: "All tourists are safe and have started returning to their native places."
Police sources, however, said the radicals looted all ornaments and money from the visitors. At Chahala, which has a famous forest rest house built by the erstwhile Maharaja of Mayurbhanj over a century ago, there were around two dozen tourists. Only forest staff bore the brunt at Dhudruchampa and Upper Barahakamuda simply because there is no facility for tourists there. The Maoists reportedly tied up and assaulted the lone forest guard at Dhudruchampa.