In a significant success for India’s ongoing anti-Naxal operations, eight Naxals were killed in a fierce encounter between CRPF and Jharkhand Police in Bokaro district’s Lugu hills early Monday morning.
Among the deceased is Vivek, a high-ranking Maoist commander with a ₹1 crore reward on his head, officials confirmed.
Firing Ends, Bodies Recovered
The exchange of fire occurred under the Lalpania police station limits. According to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF):
“The firing has stopped. A total of eight dead bodies of Maoists have been recovered by troops. No injuries were reported among the security personnel.”
Weapons Recovered
A large cache of arms was recovered from the encounter site, including:
- 1 AK-series rifle
- 1 SLR
- 3 INSAS rifles
- 1 pistol
- 8 country-made Bharmar rifles
Search operations are still ongoing to ensure no additional threats remain in the area.
Series of Maoist-Linked Incidents
This encounter follows a recent spate of Naxal-related violence in Jharkhand:
- On April 12, a Jharkhand Jaguar jawan was killed, and a CRPF jawan injured in an IED blast in Chaibasa.
- Earlier, two CRPF jawans were injured in an IED explosion during anti-Naxal ops in Jaraikela. Both were airlifted to Ranchi for treatment.
Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta confirmed Vivek’s death, calling it a “major blow to the Maoist network in the region.”