Naxals to establish arms training base in TN, Kerala

The five Maoists recently arrested from Varushanadu forest were on course to establish an arms training base in the region and spread their activities in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala, police said on Sunday.

They were arrested on a tip off by locals. The group was attempting to “dig their heels” in the area close to the Kerala border, taking advantage of the hilly forest terrain and use it as an arms training base and to spread their activities to both Tamil Nadu and Kerala, a police official said.

Their attempts to address meetings while displaying their weapons instilled fear among villagers, they said. The Varushanadu base was part of the Naxal’s wide network established in Nepal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, police said.