At least four Maoists were killed in an encounter with police in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, officials said on Monday morning. The incident took place in Tonto and Goilkera area.“Four Maoists were killed in the gunfight, while two have been arrested,” Jharkhand Police spokesperson and IG (Operations), Amol V Homkar, said.
Ashutosh Shekhar, West Singhbhum superintendent of police (SP), told HT that the forces have succeeded in arresting an area commander and a hardcore female Naxalite – after the encounter. “Arms and ammunition have also been removed from the encounter site, and the search operation is still going on.
The incident comes two days after eight Maoists and a jawan of the Special Task Force (STF) were killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district.
Six of the eight Maoists killed in the encounter were senior rank cadres and carried cumulative cash rewards of ₹48 lakh, news agency PTI reported citing police. These cadres belonged to the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) military company no. 1 of Naxalites and Maad division supply team formations.
This was the second major success of the ‘Maad Bachao Abhiyan’ (anti-Maoist operation) of Narayanpur police within a week and the fourth major success in 45 days, inspector general of police, Bastar range, Sundarraj P said in a press conference on Sunday.
“Abhujmaad (in Narayanpur district) had been suffering from Naxal violence and fear for 40 years but now the natives, tribals and villagers are imagining it free from violence, fear and Naxalism. Successful anti-Naxal campaigns have been speeding up development,” he said.
Police on Saturday claimed to have gunned down eight Maoists during an encounter in forests near Kutul-Farasbeda and Kodtameta villages in the district.
“Six of the eight killed cadres were identified as Sudru, Vargesh, Mamta, Samira, Kosi and Moti, who were active in different capacities in PLGA company no.1 of Maoists and carrying a reward of ₹8 lakh each on their heads,” the IG said.
