At least six CPI (Maoists) were gunned down in a fierce encounter with a joint team of Cobra commandos of CRPF and Jharkhand Police near Karamdih village of latehar on Wednesday morning. The encounter took place at around 7 am in the morning which lasted for about 45 minutes during a search operation being carried out for last two days.
“We have recovered six male bodies of Naxals in uniform, 600 bullets of various calibre, about 12 Improvised Explosive Devices, an INSAS rifle, an SlR, a carbine and three other firearms. Search operations are still on,” said CRPF Inspector General (Operations) in Jharkhand Sanjay A latekar. He further added that the encounter took place in a remote location on the forested banks of the Koel River under Chhipadohar police station.
latekar said that the uniforms worn by the rebels and the weapons found with them, indicates that they were Maoists of senior ranks, he said.
“A team of state police and 209 CoBRA Battalion was moved on a pin point information gathered by the police that an aggregation of Maoists near Budha Pahari was spotted on Wednesday,” said latekar.
No casualties, however, took place on the side of security personnel during the encounter which took place for more than 45 minutes, said the CRPF IG.
Calling it a grand success, latehar SP Anup Birthare said that the search operation in the areas was still going on to trace out other Maoists who ran away from the spot.
Police, on the other hand, said that the security forces were out on search operation since morning on Wednesday; as soon as they entered into the jungles, the Maoists started firing on them. The security forces also started firing in retaliation, which lasted for about 45 minutes killing six Maoists.
When the spot was searched after encounter, six bodies of Maoists in black uniforms were recovered from there along with arms and ammunitions.