In a major breakthrough for anti-Naxal operations, eight Naxals, including a top Maoist commander carrying a bounty of ₹1 crore, were killed in an encounter with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jharkhand Police in the Lugu hills area of Bokaro district on Monday morning.
The encounter occurred in the Lalpania area, where a fierce exchange of fire broke out between the security forces and Maoist insurgents. According to officials, no casualties were reported among security personnel during the operation.
Jharkhand Director General of Police Anurag Gupta confirmed the death of the high-profile Maoist, identified as Vivek, along with seven others. “A total of eight bodies of Naxals have been recovered so far,” he stated.
Security forces recovered a significant cache of arms and ammunition from the site, including one AK-series rifle, one SLR, three INSAS rifles, one pistol, and eight country-made Bharmar rifles. Search operations are ongoing, with more details expected soon.
This encounter follows a series of recent Naxal-related incidents in Jharkhand. On April 12, a jawan from the Jharkhand Jaguar force was killed, and a CRPF personnel injured in an IED blast in Chaibasa. Similarly, two CRPF jawans were wounded in another IED blast during anti-Naxal operations in Jaraikela.
The latest success marks a significant blow to the Maoist insurgency in the region and highlights the continued efforts of security forces to dismantle Naxal networks in Jharkhand.