Security Forces Successfully Neutralize Maoist Commander in Joint Jungle Operation

In a significant operational success, security forces, in collaboration with Chaibasa police, have neutralized Maoist area commander Arun alias Varun alias Nilesh Madkam during an encounter in the dense Goilkera jungle area, officials reported on Wednesday. Inspector General of Police, Michael Raj S, revealed that reliable intelligence regarding Maoist presence prompted this coordinated operation with the elite Cobra 209 BN commando unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The engagement commenced with the police reacting promptly to specific intelligence inputs. As the forces launched their maneuver, a fierce exchange of gunfire ensued between the police and Communist Party of India (CPI) Maoists. Initial recoveries from the site include an SLR rifle and various other items, Inspector General Micheal Raj S informed the Asian News International (ANI).

Details have also emerged of a separate encounter where two District Reserve Guard (DRG) officers sustained injuries during an anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. The officers, now out of danger, were initially administered first aid on-site before being transported to Raipur for advanced medical care. Reports suggest the possibility of multiple Naxal injuries. Sporadic gunfire exchanges between security forces and Naxals persisted, underscoring the volatile situation in these regions.

Continuing the counter-insurgency initiatives, security forces recovered the body of a Naxal alongside weapons in Bijapur, a hotspot in the Bastar division marked by insurgency. Inspector General Bastar P Sundarraj confirmed the encounter warranted the recovery of arms and ammunition. Notably, a previous encounter on July 30 in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district resulted in the neutralization of another Naxalite.

(With inputs from agencies.)