Security forces kill five Maoists in Jharkhand’s Latehar

At least five suspected cadres of Communist Party of India (Maoist) were gunned down in an encounter with the security forces near Bhargaon forests in Jharkhand’s Latehar district on Wednesday morning, officials said.

An encounter between the CPI(Maoists) and personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand police ensued in Sikid-Kerh forests when the security forces were conducting an anti-Maoists offensive and lasted nearly for an hour, officials said.

Police said they were tipped off about the movement of the Maoists squads led by Shivlal Yadav and Shrawan Yadav and his accomplices in the area. Both belong to the same region.

“The search operation is on to retrieve dead bodies (of the Maoists). Two bodies have been retrieved,” Palamu range deputy inspector general of police (DGP) Bipul Shukla said.

However, the identity of the killed rebels was yet to be established.

Officials said huge caches of arms and ammunition, including three AK-47 rifles, were recovered from the spot.

According to officials, this is the second major “achievement” by security forces in Palamu division against the rebels in less than two months.

Security forces managed to completely wipe out a Maoists’ squad active on the Bihar-Jharkhand border in February by gunning down six Maoists in two consecutive encounters and arresting another 11, including minor girls.

They recently routed the CPI (Maoists) from Herhanj region, once considered to be their stronghold, by setting up camps at Serendaag in Latehar and Taal in Palamu district.