Gundlupet: Following certain information that suspected naxals had entered Bandipur National Park and surrounding places, the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF), District Armed Reserve (DAR) Police and Forest Department personnel launched a joint combing operation in Bandipur yesterday.

The Police have dismissed possibility of Naxal activities in Bandipur and however, there is fear that combing operations may hit tourist activity.

Briefing the personnel before the combing operation at the Gundlupet Police Station premises, Chamarajanagar SP Dharmendra Kumar Meena instructed the personnel to follow the instructions compulsorily.

He also instructed them to keep in touch with the Intelligence staff who would provide information from time-to-time besides instructing the personnel to be careful when they come across naxals in the forest. The SP told them to observe the faces of naxals and also see whether they were carrying arms and ammunitions.

ASP Geetha Prasanna, Dy.SP S.E. Gangadharaswamy, Circle Inspector K.V. Krishnappa, SI B.S. Shivarudra and others were present during the briefing.

Meanwhile, Dharmendra Kumar Meena, speaking to the Media, said that they have started combing operations as a precautionary measure.

He said that two teams have been formed which are led by ASP and Dy.SP and added that as the personnel were not familiar with the forest, Forest Department personnel and two officers are included in each team. He said that each team consists of two officers, 10 ANF personnel and two trained staff.

Stating that the Police force in the region was strong and there were no chances of naxals entering the State from neighbouring States, the SP said that Police personnel from neighbouring Kerala and Tamil Nadu States were also conducting combing operations in their areas and added that Check-Posts have been set up in the district with more staff being deployed besides collecting information on suspicious movements in   the vicinity.

He said that there were information about naxals planning to attack to avenge the deaths of naxals Kappudevaraya and Sujatha, who were killed in an encounter in Mallapuram district of Kerala last year.

Combing Operation launched

After the briefing, the forces, which were divided into two teams and led by ASP Geetha Prasanna and Dy.SP S.E. Gangadharaswamy, began the combing operation in Bandipur Reserve Forests covering Kundakere, Mulapura and Karapura forest areas and along the banks of Mayar River.  They covered 15 kilometres on foot yesterday.

Meanwhile, Dharmapuri Anti-Naxal Force of Tamil Nadu, led by their Inspector, conducted combing operation in Mudumalai Forests bordering Bandipur and also spoke to the tribals living in the hamlets besides collecting information from them.

The two-day combing operations continued today.