At least six security personnel got injured during an encounter with the CPI (Maoists) on Friday after they triggered landmines targeting security forces in Budha Pahar area on the borders of Garhwa and latehar districts of Jharkhand. Intensive search operation has been launched in the adjoining areas to trace them out.
“We have hit the Maoist group in Budha Pahar area from where several IEDs and ammunitions have been recovered. During the operation, six CRPF and Police personnel got injured who have been rushed to Ranchi for further treatment and have been admitted to Medica Hospital,” said ADG (Operations) RK Mallick. All of them are out of danger now, he added.
An official release from the Police Headquarters stated that the Maoists triggered at least three landmines during which two officials and one Havildar of 209 CoBRA Battalion of CRPF along with two officials of district police were injured, while one constable of latehar police also received minor injuries who was released immediately after initial first aid.“At least 45 IEDs, 100 detonators, pressure cooker bomb along with some other articles, including naxal outfits have been recovered from the site,” stated the release.
On a tip off that a group of Maoists has been spotted in Budha Pahar area under Bhandaria police station, the security forces reached there in the night itself and launched search operation in the area.
As soon as the Maoists saw the security forces, they started firing on them. The police also fired on them in retaliation. In the mean time, the Maoists triggered a land mine during which six jawans of CoBRA got injured. Though no any dead body has been found, Police claimed that few Maoists have also been injured during the encounter. Maoists, however, sneaked away during the encounter.
Sources claimed that top Maoist leader Arvind Ji along with Sudhakaran is present there in the Budha Pahar area.
Incidentally, a wanted commander of the Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) Abhay Yadav was killed in an encounter on Thursday under Chainpur police station area of Palamu. The encounter took place between the team of Garhwa Police along with a contingent of the Jharkhand Armed Police.
According to police, a team of JAP (8th Battalion), along with team of Garhwa police, had entered deep into the forests on Garhwa-Palamu border following information about movement of TPC area commander Abhay Yadav, along with his troupe.