Maoists raid CRPF camp in Jharkhand, jawan killed

HAZARIBAGH: In a major raid, about 400 Maoist rebels attacked a CRPF camp in Jharkhand, killing a jawan, and blew up rail tracks in two places.

After the attack at Rahvan in Jhumra Pahar area in Bokaro district, CRPF jawans posted there retaliated and the gun battle continued till late Sunday night, Hazaribagh's Superintendent of Police Praveen Kumar said.

Over 4,000 rounds were fired by the CRPF jawans who also used 20 para bombs, mortars and 20 grenades in one of the firefight that lasted over four hours, said Ashwini Kumar Sinha, the Sub-divisional Police Officer at Bermo in Bokaro.

Kumar could not confirm if there were any casualties among the Maoists. However, Sinha said police teams had spotted bloodstains at a few places at the site of the gunbattle and anticipated that a few rebels might have been killed.

About 3,000 empty cartridges, 150 live cartridges, 15 crude bombs and as many grenades were recovered from the spot.

Sinha said the rebels, comprising hard-core ultras from Andhra Pradesh and Nepal, blew up rail tracks at Dania and Dumribihar station and planted explosives on all roads to leading to Jhumrapahar while fleeing.

All police stations in Hazaribag district near Bokaro and Jhumrapahar were put on alert following the attack.