NEW DELHI, Apr 17: Four Naxals (Maoists) were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district, police said on Friday. The encounter was reported in the Batuka forest area within the Keredari police station limits, following a tip-off, police added.
SDPO of Barkagaon, Pawan Kumar, said, “Four Maoists have been killed in the gunfight. Their identities are being established.” No security personnel were injured in the operation, he said, adding that more details of the operation would be provided later.
In another development, four security personnel earlier this week suffered injuries in a fierce exchange of fire with a Maoist squad headed by Misir Besra, who carries a bounty of Rs 1 crore, in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum, a senior police officer said.
The encounter, which began in the Saranda forest within Chotanagra police station limits in the morning, was continuing intermittently, officials said.
West Singhbhum SP Amit Renu said, “Four Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) jawans participating in the operation have sustained injuries, but all are out of danger. We will be able to provide more details tomorrow morning once the operation ends and security personnel return.” CoBRA jawans are elite CRPF commandos specialised in jungle warfare to counter Naxal insurgency.
In Ranchi, Inspector General of Police (Operations) Michael Raj S said the operation started after the police received a tip-off about the presence of Besra along with his squad in Saranda forest. Besra, a senior politburo member of the banned CPI (Maoists), is considered the ‘supreme commander’ of the eastern regional bureau.
Security forces, including CRPF, CoBRA and Jharkhand Jaguar units, have been conducting extensive combing operations in the area for several months to make the district Maoist-free.
(Manas Dasgupta)