Troops advance from Lalgarh toward Maoist-held villages

October 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday met Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and reportedly discussed Maoist-related problems in the State.

September 27th, 2009 LALGARH - An elusive tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato, who has been spearheading an agitation since November last year against alleged police excesses in West Midnapore's troubled Lalgarh area, was arrested here on Saturday. Mahato, leader of People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA), which has been spearheading agitation against alleged police atrocities, was nabbed from Pirka region, near Lalgarh village.

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 5th, 2009 LALGARH - Security forces Sunday arrested a suspected Maoist linkman from a forest near this troubled area of West Bengal, police said. Lal Mohan Murmu was picked up from the Jhitka forests, once a den of the leftwing rebels by the central and state security personnel patrolling the area.

June 30th, 2009 LALGARH - A task force will visit Lalgarh and adjoining areas today to study the ground situation a day after security forces captured Kantapahari, the hub of the rebel agitation. Reconstituted by the West Bengal Government, the force, including eight officers, will visit Lalgarh, Ramgarh, Kantapahari and Pirakata in West Midnapore to supervise development work in the tribal areas.

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 26th, 2009 LALGARH J - The security forces today started fresh offensive operation to flush out the Maoist activists from the trouble hit Lalgarh in West Midnapore District of West Bengal. The joint operation by the paramilitary forces and the West Bengal State Police against the Maoists in Lalgarh area has entered the ninth day.

June 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI J - The "Operation Lalgarh" entered sixth day as the security forces reclaimed 22 of the 42 villages controlled by the Maoist guerillas.he police took control of the National Highway 6 and 60, which passes through the forested area of Jahtika connecting Lalgarh. Taking note of the incidents happening in Lalgarh, the National Human Rights Commission has expressed great concern over reports of security forces using locals as human shields, and warned that in case of human rights violations, appropriate action will be recommended against them.

June 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI J - The Union Home Ministry has issued an alert to Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa and Chattisgarh in the wake of two day bandh call given by the Maoists starting from today. The CPI (Maoist) called for a two day shut down in five eastern states to protest the re capturing of Lalgarh in West Bengal by security forces.

June 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has cautioned all the politicians from visiting West Bengal's Lalgarh area, where security forces are fighting to clear a Maoist siege, as it is "sensitive" and "tense". "The situation in Lalgarh is sensitive and continues to be tense.

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 20th, 2009 LALGARH - A paramilitary trooper, participating in the security operation launched to flush out Maoist rebels from this trouble-torn zone, died of heat stroke Saturday, a police official said here. "The (Central Reserve Police Force) CRPF jawan died due to heat stroke apparently after falling sick in the Jhitka jungles," Inspector General of state police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told IANS in Kolkata.

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 19th, 2009 New Delhi, June 19 (ANI): While security persons continued their operations to flush out Maoists from Lalgarh in West Bengal on Friday, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo held a detailed discussion on the latest developments there. The meet also reviewed its organisational problems that led to its worst-ever poll performance.

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.