Having a distinct advantage of the topography of these tracts, the rebels lie quietly in wait and trigger these devices resulting in huge casualties of security personnel.

'That is why it is necessary to have pinpointed information of their whereabouts and then launch operations. Even when we carry out air reconnaissance missions, it is difficult to strafe from the air as there is a thick green canopy and we cannot strike,' admitted an intelligence official closely involved in anti-Maoist operations.

Furthermore inter-state movement of Maoist cadres from Chhattisgarh to adjoining states of Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Maharashtra and vice versa happens on a regular basis.

Claiming to be fighting for the rights of landless peasants and labourers in rural areas left behind by India's rapid economic growth, the Maoists, not numbering more than 10,000, have killed hundreds of soldiers, police officers and civilians each year for the last few years.

Despite the setting up of Counter Insurgency and Anti-Terrorism (CIAT) schools, sharing of intelligence between affected states and improving inter-state coordination by the union government, the rebels still seem to have an upper hand.

Last month, the government formally banned the Maoists, officially designating the group as a terrorist organisation.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who has been pro-active in the fight against terror, has tried to put in place critical strategies and strengthen intelligence systems to thwart further attacks.

Now he is expected to call another meeting of the chief ministers of the Maoist affected states to review the approach before mounting a serious offensive against the insurgent group.