6 Naxals killed in encounter with CRPF in Jharkhand

Six Naxals were killed and over 600 bullets and a dozen improvised explosive devices recovered after a gunbattle with Central Reserve Police Force commandos on Wednesday in the jungles of Jharkhand’s Maoist hotbed of Latehar district.

Officials said the encounter began at about 7 am in the Karamdih-Chhipadohar jungles on the banks of north Koel river of the said district where a squad of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) commandos of the CRPF was out for operations.

“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,” CRPF Inspector General (Operations) in Jharkhand Sanjay A Lathkar said.

The IG added some more explosives and cordex wires, used to trigger IEDs, has also been recovered from the spot, over 130 km from Ranchi.

Officials said the team of 209th battalion of the COBRA along with other units was out for operation since last two days and the encounter started when the squad received fire from the Maoists side.

The gunbattle continued for sometime after which the bodies of the Naxals, wearing black uniforms, were recovered, the IG said.

The COBRA is an elite jungle warfare unit of the CRPF, deployed extensively for anti-Naxal operations in Jharkhand and other states.