Five Maoists killed in encounter, claim Jharkand Police
At least one suspected Maoist was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Jharkhand’s Gumla district on Friday. The police, however, claimed they have killed four-five rebels.
“I was leading the team comprising district police, CoBRA and Jharkhand Jaguar. The encounter, which took place near Sargaon village, began at 7.30 am and lasted two hours. One body has been recovered. I think four-five Naxals must have died, but they ran away with the bodies,” said Gumla SDPO Mohd Arshi.
Maoist sources said the man who was killed was part of a People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army team, reportedly en route to provide assistance to a larger group fighting a pitched battle against the security forces since February 20.
Friday’s operation was part of an encounter that began on February 20 at Chainpur in Gumla, along the border with Chhattisgarh. Jharkhand’s most-wanted Maoist Deo Kumar Singh is reportedly injured.
Police said they do not have any information on Singh alias Arvindji, CPI(Maoist) central committee and military commission member. The Maoist sources, however, confirmed that Singh suffered a bullet injury to his leg on February 20 and was still in Gumla.
Arvindji and his team were reportedly moving from Chhattisgarh to Latehar, when they were ambushed by members of another Left-wing extremist group Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad. The JJMP allegedly retains good relationship with the Intelligence Bureau, which did not keep the state police in the loop about the ambush.
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