Eight Maoists killed in encounter with security forces in Jharkhand

Bokaro, Jharkhand: In an anti-Naxal operation, eight Maoists were killed in an early morning encounter with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and local police in the Lugu hills under the Lalpania area of Bokaro district on Monday, officials confirmed.

The gun battle broke out during a joint operation, and security personnel later recovered the bodies of eight Naxals from the site. "The firing has stopped. A total of eight Maoist bodies have been recovered," said a CRPF spokesperson.

Among the deceased was a top Maoist leader, Vivek, who carried a bounty of ₹1 crore on his head, according to Jharkhand Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Gupta. No casualties or injuries were reported among the security forces.

Weapons seized from the site included one AK-series rifle, one Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), three INSAS rifles, a pistol, and eight country-made Bharmar rifles, the CRPF said. Search operations in the area are still ongoing, with more details awaited.

This encounter comes amid a spate of recent incidents involving Naxals in Jharkhand. On 12 April, a jawan of the Jharkhand Jaguar unit was killed, and a CRPF personnel injured in an IED blast in Chaibasa.

In another incident, two CRPF jawans were injured in an IED explosion during anti-Naxal operations in Jaraikela. Both personnel were evacuated to Ranchi for medical treatment.

Security forces have intensified operations in Jharkhand in recent weeks, targeting Maoist strongholds and aiming to curb their influence in the region.