Police officer killed in Maoist encounter in Jharkhand

A police officer was killed while two of his colleagues were injured in a fierce encounter with Maoists in the hilly jungles of Jama block in Jharkhand's Dumka district today.

"The officer-in-charge of Jama police station Satanand Singh died on the spot when a bullet hit him in the head during the gunfight," deputy inspector general of police BK Pandey told PTI here.

Two others, including a constable of Special Task Force, Ravi Shankar, were injured in the gunbattle and have been airlifted to Ranchi for treatment.

The gunfight began at about 5 am when the police went to the spot after getting a tip-off that Maoists were in the jungles, inspector general of police (Operation) R K Malik told reporters in Dumka.

Jharkhand police chief Neyaz Ahmed, inspector general of police (Operation) RK Malik and IG DK Pandey flew to Dumka and held a meeting with the deputy commissioner and the police officers to discuss the Maoist presence in the Santhal Pargana districts.

"Anti-Naxal operations will continue in the areas of Amrapara, Litpara (Pakur district), Kathikund and Gopikandar (Dumka) until all the Maoists are dead or leave the place. Two or three additional companies of forces will be involved in the operation," Malik said.

Eighteen out of 24 districts in Jharkhand are officially declared as Naxal-affected, leaving out all the six districts, including Dumka, from Santhal Pargana region.