Bihar: Arms cache recovered in Gaya forest near Jharkhand border

Patna, Oct 7 (IANS) A joint search operation by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Bihar Police led to the recovery of a cache of weapons and ammunition allegedly hidden underground in a dense forest along the Bihar-Jharkhand border in Gaya district.

Acting on intelligence inputs regarding weapons concealed in the forest, security personnel launched the operation early on Wednesday in the Dhangai police station area.

The search was conducted near the route connecting Tiletad and Hisir, where the joint team searched suspected hideouts across the forest.

The operation was led by SSB Deputy Commandant Ravi Bhushan.

During the search, personnel detected suspicious material buried underground.

After excavating the site, they recovered weapons and ammunition wrapped in plastic and concealed inside a pit.

According to the security forces, the recovered items include a 9 mm carbine with two magazines, a country-made muzzle-loading rifle, a country-made pistol, and another pistol with two magazines.

A 5-watt walkie-talkie was also recovered.

The ammunition cache comprised 79 rounds of 9 mm ammunition and 13 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition.

Following the recovery, security forces launched a search of the surrounding forest area to determine whether any additional weapons or other material had been concealed nearby.

Dhangai SHO Shravan Ram and SSB Assistant Commandant Sanoj Kumar of the 29th Battalion's Dhangai Camp played key roles in the operation, officials said.

Police are now investigating who buried the weapons at the site and how they were transported to the forest.

Investigators are also working to establish the intended use of the recovered arms and identify any individuals or groups linked to the cache.

The recovery has prompted heightened surveillance and further searches in the forested border area as security agencies continue their investigation.

Gaya has long been regarded as one of the Naxal-affected districts of Bihar, with several operatives of banned extremist outfits arrested in the region in the past.

The forested areas around Dhangai, Barachatti, Banke Bazar and Sherghati in Gaya district extend towards the Jharkhand border and have previously been identified as routes used by Naxal operatives to move between the two states.

Against this backdrop, the recovery of weapons and ammunition from the area is being viewed as a significant achievement for the security forces.

--IANS

ajk/dan