Thread by @KushalSinha001

Biggest obstacles for security forces in Anti Naxal Ops : PART 1
- booby traps
- snipers
- light machine guns
- dehydration & fatigue

PART 1

Before starting this thread I'd like to thank all those who provided me with necessary info. Secondly, as you might have noticed, I haven't added IED & landmines, as they are too mainstream and there is no point explaining about the two

1. BOOBY TRAPS
They are relatively new for the SF operating in the red Corridor. Probably took inspiration from their comrades in Vietnam. Booby traps can include anything from spikes hidden in pits, mannequins to posters attached to an IED via tripwire.

Apart from slowing down combing ops, BOOBY TRAPS are used to leave a psychological impact on the minds of soldiers and instill fear. You wouldn't want your foot to land in a pit full of rust coated steel spikes

2. SNIPERS
Someone who doesn't want to be named told me that the use of snipers by naxals has been noticed more in Jharkhand than any other state. Let's say if there is a meeting of naxal cmmndrs, they wud place their sentries at strategic positions before starting their meeting

As soon as the sentries spot SFs, they call in their snipers to fire & injure a couple of SFs from the front (maybe Scout 1&2), then, for the SFs, the priority is to evacuate the injured & not launch assault. This gives the naxals window to escape from the SF

I've heard that Sniper have also been used by naxals to eliminate sentries of police camps in Chhattisgarh.

In pic - telescope attached to SLR recovered from Maoists

3. LIGHT MACHINE GUN
Most of the LMGs in use by naxals are snatched from SFs. They are strategically placed at hillocks. LMGs, in the past have proven to be a game changer for naxals. LMGs were one of the main reason why SFs took heavy casualties during the Dantewada massacre.

It is said that LMGs were also used in Saturday's gun battle. LMGs used by naxals are mostly INSAS LMG or Bren

4. DEHYDRATION & FATIGUE
Due to the scorching heat and humidity of central India, "alien troops" who are not acclimatised to the local conditions often suffer from diseases. Dehydration is one of the factors which keeps the troops out of operations.

Operations can last anywhere between a day to a week, this causes fatigue among the troops.
Logistics is a big hassle, Replenishing the troops who are inside the jungles is also a daunting task, sending addln teams with supplies can blow the cover of assault teams.

COBRA a few years ago started Heli dropping supplies to their strike teams deep inside the jungles, but Heli dropping is still not preferred I don't know why.

In the next thread I will talk about Intelligence and how 'alien' troops are proving to be inefficient and ineffective in central India.
And what can be done to finish this mence once in for all (IT WILL PURELY BE MY OPINION AND I MIGHT DIFFER FROM OTHERS')