Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Sunday lauded a C-60 commando team of Gadchiroli police for destroying a Naxal weapons manufacturing unit in an operation along the state's border with Chhattisgarh that lasted for over 48 hours.

The operation took place on March 4-5 in Koparshi forest in Gadchiroli's Bhamragad taluka and the Naxal weapons manufacturing unit was destroyed in Maad, some five kilometres inside neighbouring Chhattisgarh, police had said earlier.

The jawans succeeded due to good strategy and use of force and had dealt a body blow to Naxals in their Abujhmad stronghold, and this would reduce the activities of the ultras in the region in a big way, the minister said.