“Everything fell into place when we went for the operation,” Vijay Raman, Special DG, CRPF said on Wednesday, calling the Salboni operation “the most successful operation we have conducted in recent times”. Maoists have been active in the area between Lalgarh and Salboni for quite some time.

Raman said the forces had been camping close to the encounter spot for three-four days and decided to move in after intelligence inputs about a Maoist squad camping there.

“Moreover, we had a unit which visited the area and confirmed that the input we had received was correct,” he added.

The operation was conducted jointly by the CRPF and state police jawans, with an assault unit of the Special Action Force (erstwhile CoBRA) from Orissa. In Orissa, the SAF commandos have a battalion headquarters. The operation in Chaibasa in Jharkhand was also conducted by a team from the same battalion.

Police had information that a large number of rebels had gathered in the Ranja forest.

“On Tuesday night, we sent the SAF assault group inside the forest (to keep a vigil) on the squad. The moment there was light, CRPF and State Armed Police companies were ordered to enter the forest,” said a senior police officer.

“This is the actual joint operation for which we have been waiting for so long. This is a morale booster for the entire police force,” DGP Bhupinder Singh said.