Five Maoists killed in Jharkhand, encounter underway

Five Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Serendaag jungle of Jharkhand's Latehar district today, a police officer said.

The encounter between the Maoists and a joint team of the district police and the CRPF is still on, Superintendent of Police Prasant Anand said. Bodies of the five ultras have been recovered from the spot along with three AK-47 rifles, he said.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has claimed that they managed to kill as many as 172 terrorists and Naxals in the last one year and apprehended more than 1,500 terrorists across the country.

RR Bhatnagar, Director General of CRPF, said that due to the active involvement of the CRPF in Jammu and Kaskmir, areas with Left Wing extremism, and the Northeast, as many as 172 terrorists and many Maoists have been neutralised in the last one year alone. He assured that the CRPF will rise to the challenge of internal security and come off with flying colours as and when needed.

The force, which is the lead counter insurgency force with 243 battalion, in Left Wing Extremism areas have killed 32 Maoists, apprehended 1,189 Maoists and facilitated surrender of 84 Maoists. The force recovered 396 arms, 17,837 ammunition, 714 explosives, 1,99,779 detonators and 431 improvised explosive devices (IED).