Mithilesh Kumar Singh
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The Times of India, Aug 15 2015
How a CoBRA officer turned tables on Naxals
On March 27, 2015, the 209 CoBRA battalion was tasked with a search and destroy operation based on intelligence about the presence of Maoists in Latehar's Kone axis area. Late that night, an 11-member team under Assistant Commandant Mithilesh Kumar Singh, located 125km away from the axis, started for the area in three vehicles. But, to ensure stealth, they disembarked 5km ahead of Dubiahi, where the Maoists were said to be hiding. The team trekked the rest of the distance only to realize they'd been drawn into an ambush. It was 2.30am. “Using night-vision devices we saw the Maoists spread out across the hills hemming the village.They seemed to have prior information. Soon, the Maoist guns opened up,“ a commando recalled. Singh's men were on flat, open terrain with no tree cover.The officer saw one Maoist group trying to encircle his troops and he made a tactical decision that saved his men. Singh broke his team into three groups and sent them in different directions.
He himself was in the vanguard, opening fire on the group trying to encircle his men. “Relentless volleys from three corners pinned back the Maoists, confusing them. When they saw bullets flying from all directions, they overestimated our strength and retreated, leaving behind bodies,“ a soldier said.
