Security forces in Jharkhand eliminated four Naxals, including notorious commander Sahadev Mahto, during an encounter at the Chatra-Hazaribagh border on Friday.
Police acted on precise intelligence inputs and launched a joint operation with security forces. The team blocked escape routes and surrounded the Naxals. The extremists opened fire, prompting forces to retaliate. The gun battle lasted for hours, resulting in the deaths of four Naxals. Sahadev Mahto, carrying a bounty of 1.5 million rupees, was among those killed.
After the encounter, forces recovered two AK-47 rifles, indigenous and modern weapons, Naxal literature, daily essentials, and a large cache of ammunition. Officials confirmed that Mahto masterminded several major incidents in the region.
In western Jharkhand’s Saranda region, security forces surrounded another group of Naxals in the Chadaradera forest near Baliba. Reports suggest that Misir Besra, a top Naxal leader with a bounty of 10 million rupees, may be present with over a hundred members. SP Amit Renu of Chaibasa confirmed that aerial surveillance is underway and operations continue.
Over the past three days, six security personnel sustained injuries in IED blasts and gunfire incidents in West Singhbhum. Authorities remain on high alert as operations intensify across the region.
