Security forces in 5-hour gunbattle with Maoists in Lalgarh

September 24th, 2009 LALGARH - Two local leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were killed by suspected Maoists near Lalgarh. According to police, Maoists abducted Nemai Bishayi and Samir Singha Mahapatra late last night from a party meeting in Harimara village.

August 21st, 2009 LALGARH - A landmine blast and road blockades marked third day of shutdown call by Maoists in West Bengal. Maoists gave an indefinite shutdown call on Tuesday in West Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia districts of the state, demanding withdrawal of security forces from Lalgarh and protesting alleged police excesses on villagers in tribal dominated areas.

July 31st, 2009 LALGARH - Maoists provoked Lalgarh villagers to protest against the deployment of security forces since they reclaimed the Maoist held 'liberated zone.' The Maoists were evicted from the trouble-torn Lalgarh region at June 20 after an almost week-long joint operation by the State and Centre's elite security forces. But the villagers have continued protests since, demanding the security forces to retreat to normal days, a move which officials apprehend is a ploy to give the Maoists a foothold again.

July 24th, 2009 KOLKATA - A police official was abducted by a group of suspected Maoists Friday evening in the troubled Lalgarh region of West Bengal, following which a gun battle ensued between the rebels and security personnel, police said. "We came to know that a policeman was abducted by a group of Maoists in Lalgarh-Ramgarh region.

July 20th, 2009 KOLKATA - Hundreds of villagers, including women and children, Monday marched in West Bengal's trouble-torn Lalgarh region to protest against the month-long security operation against Maoists there and also clashed with security forces. Security forces used batons to disperse the agitating crowd at Gohomidanga near Dharampur locality in Lalgarh.

July 13th, 2009 LALGARH - A day after Maoists killed around 30 policemen in ambush attacks in Chhattisgarh, a group of rebels fired Monday night at a security forces camp in West Bengal's Lalgarh area, where the government has launched a massive operation to push out the leftwing rebels. The Maoists fired at a security force camp in Dharampur in West Midnapore district, on the 26th day of the operation launched by the government against the radicals.

June 29th, 2009 KOLKATA - The central government should carry out a statewide operation by deploying central forces to recover illegal firearms from different parts of West Bengal, Railways Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said here Monday. "The Centre should take up this responsibility and conduct operations to recover illegal firearms from across the state," she said.

June 28th, 2009 LALGARH - Security forces on Sunday arrested two suspected Maoists and defused seven landmines from Lalgarh, while flushing out the Maoists hiding around the troubled area of West Bengal's West Midnapore. Five landmines were recovered from Binpur, while two more were found near Kargil junction at Bankura district, said Raj Kanojia, Inspector General of Police.

June 26th, 2009 LALGARH - Security forces on Friday reclaimed control over Kadasole village from Maoists, located north of Lalgarh in West Midinapore district, during phase II of ongoing operations against the naxals who set off two landmine blasts. Led by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the troops including jungle warfare expert and personnel of the Indian Reserve Battalion and State Armed Police, who were helped by a helicopter, exchanged fire for 45 minutes with the Maoists who later fled the village, said a senior CRPF official.

June 26th, 2009 LALGARH - Authorities in Lalgarh village of West Bengal, which was recently liberated by the police from the Maoists, have set up relief camps to provide rations to the besieged residents. Hundreds of villagers were seen queued up outside the relief camps set at block office.

June 25th, 2009 LALGARH/KOLKATA - While security forces are carrying out operation in the Maoist infested area Lalgarh in West Bengal to free it from criminals' grip, local students lament that their studies are getting affected. A section of students complains that studies are getting affected due to the ongoing operation by the security forces in the jungles of Lalgarh region in Medinipur district of West Bengal.

June 22nd, 2009 MEDINIPUR - Normal life was affected in Medinipur region of West Bengal, as vehicular traffic, shops, schools and colleges were all affected due to the 48-hour Bandh call given by the Maoists, as a mark of protest against the security forces's action in Lalgarh. "Maoists have called for the shutdown because of the atrocities on them and we read about it newspapers and saw it on televisions.

June 20th, 2009 LALGARH - Security forces tasted the success in "Operation Lalgarh" by re capturing Lalgarh Police station amidst stiff gun battle and land mine blasts by the Maoist ultras in West Midnapore district of West Bengal. The security men celebrated as the police station fell in their way, which was out of bound for nearly six months after an attempt on life of the Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and two other union ministers in last November.

June 19th, 2009 LALGARH - The West Bengal Police supported by Central Paramilitary forces launched "operation Lalgarh" to clear the areas in and around Lalgarh from Maoist captivity in West Midnapore district. The security forces are facing tough time in clearing the human shields, consisting of women and children put up by ultras on the way leading to Lalgarh.

June 18th, 2009 LALGARH - The West Bengal Police, supported by central paramilitary forces, initiated the operation to flush out Maoist from Lalgarh in West Midnapore District of West Bengal. It was the forth day, since the red brigade captured nearly fifty villages in and around Lalgarh, which is nearly 150 Km from the state capital Kolkatta, and declared it as the liberated zone.