RANCHI: Four security personnel were injured after a fierce gunfight erupted between security forces and Maoists in the Saranda forests of West Singhbhum on Wednesday.
The encounter began early in the morning in the Babudera forests under the Chhota Nagra police station area and was still continuing till late evening when this report was filed.
According to West Singhbhum SP Amit Renu, several Maoists are believed to have sustained bullet injuries, although this can only be confirmed after the encounter ends. Police sources also claimed that some Maoists may have been killed, but no bodies had been officially recovered till late evening.
Incidentally, this is the first such encounter since the Centre’s March 31 deadline to eradicate Maoism from the country.
“Four security personnel have been injured during the encounter, who have been airlifted to Ranchi for better medical facility. They are said to be out of danger,” said Amit Renu.
He added that since the operation was still underway, the exact number of casualties or injuries on the Maoist side would only be known after the encounter concludes.
According to reports, Maoists opened fire as soon as they spotted the police. Security personnel then took positions and fired back in retaliation.
The ongoing encounter reportedly involves a squad led by wanted Maoist leader Misir Besra.
Sources said senior Maoist operatives, including Mochu, Sagen Angaria and Ashwin, were also part of the group.
Misir Besra, one of the most wanted Maoist leaders in the region, is believed to have been attempting to relocate when security forces intercepted the squad.
Police said a joint team of the CRPF's COBRA Battalion, Jharkhand Jaguar and district police was carrying out a search operation when the forces encountered a Maoist group shifting its camp within the forest.
“As soon as they saw the security forces, the Maoist squad opened fire—a move met with a strong and immediate response from the security forces. There are reports that several Maoists were killed in the exchange of fire, although no bodies have been recovered so far,” said a police official requesting anonymity.
Intermittent firing was still continuing from both sides, the official added.
Following the encounter, security forces launched intensive combing operations across the Saranda region. Exit routes were sealed to prevent any escape.
The operation is being seen as a major development in ongoing anti-Maoist efforts in Jharkhand, especially in the Saranda region, which has long remained a stronghold of Left-Wing Extremism.
Notably, the few Maoists still active in the Saranda forests of West Singhbhum have shifted to mobile camps to avoid detection by security forces.
To prevent police from reaching their bunkers, Maoists have reportedly laid a network of spike holes and IEDs around the area.
Chaibasa police said that despite the presence of IEDs across the region, forces are advancing cautiously through the forests and have established several temporary security camps in Maoist strongholds.
The state police launched a joint operation in the Kolhan forests in November 2022 after receiving inputs that senior Maoist leaders, including Misir Besra, were hiding in the strategically important forest belt.