Security forces on Friday dealt a heavy blow to left-wing extremism in Jharkhand, killing four Maoist militants, including a senior regional commander, in a violent encounter in Khabia forest area of Hazaribagh.
An elite CRPF commando of the 209 Cobra Battalion, along with local police, acted on precise intelligence inputs and launched a targeted operation against a squad led by Sahdeo Mahto alias Anuj, a notorious Regional Committee Member (RCM).
“The encounter began around 2 pm when the Maoist group opened fire on the advancing forces, leading to an intense exchange of fire. After a half-hour standoff, four Maoists were neutralized,” a senior official said.
The dead were identified as Sahdeo Mahto alias Anuj, a veteran commander who had previously escaped from prison during the 2011 Chibasa prison break; Natasha, Special Area Committee member and wife of Sahdeo Mahto; Bodan Karmeli, District Commander; Ranjit Janju, who is also the district commander, sources said.
“All the Maoists, including Sahdeo, were killed. The operation took place primarily in Hazaribagh district, specifically in the Khabia forest area within Kiridari district,” Hazaribagh Police Inspector Anjani Anjan said.
Security forces also found a huge cache of advanced weapons at the Al-Adda site.
“Two AK series rifles, one Colt AR-15 and one INSAS rifle were recovered from the spot,” CRPF personnel said.
