Summary The 59 commandoes belong to India's elite jungle warfare unit and counter-Maoist squad.
NEW DELHI (Daily Dunya) – Dozens of Indian trainee commandos have gone missing from a train at the Mughalsarai station hours before they were to be deployed in the left Wing Extremism-hit theatre of Bihar.
The 59 commandoes belong to India’s elite jungle warfare unit and counter-Maoist squad Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).
While quoting Press Trust of India, AFP reports that the soldiers took an unexpected late-night detour without informing their commander.
The commandos disembark the train when it stopped momentarily, sparking an embarrassing scramble to find out where they went.
An investigation has been ordered into the incident by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
The episode has been termed as a case of “unauthorised absence” by the force.
India’s Maoist insurgents, considered the number one internal security threat, are most active in the forested and resource-rich areas of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.
The rebels say they are fighting authorities for land, jobs and other rights for poor tribal groups.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been seeking to stem the insurgency by earmarking development funds for revolt-hit areas and improving policing.
