RANCHI: A Maoist was killed during an encounter with security forces in the Sauta jungles under Goilkera police station in Chaibasa. According to police sources, security forces recovered the Maoist’s body along with an SLR rifle from the spot.IG Operations Dr Michael Raj said the Maoists suffered heavy losses during the encounter, and the search operation is still ongoing.Local police said a joint team of Jharkhand Police and CRPF were conducting a search operation in the area when the Maoist squad, already present there, opened fire on them. The security forces immediately retaliated, during which one Maoist was killed. The deceased has not yet been identified.Police have been running a continuous campaign against Maoists in the Saranda area of Chaibasa, demolishing many bunkers used for hiding during encounters. Several IEDs have also been recovered.Currently, Maoists are largely restricted to the Saranda jungles in Jharkhand, having been driven out of other pockets of the state. Estimates suggest that around 85–90 Maoists are hiding in Saranda, where thousands of IEDs have been planted, posing a challenge for security forces.Despite this, forces are advancing slowly into the jungles with determination and have established several temporary security camps in the Maoists’ core areas.The state police launched a joint operation in the Kolhan and Saranda jungles in November 2022 after receiving a tip-off that senior Maoist leaders, including Misir Besra and Patiram Majhi alias Anal Da, were hiding in this strategically important forest stretch.
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