Woman Among 4 Maoists Killed In Encounter With Police In West Singhbhum

Jharkhand News: At least four suspected Maoists, including a woman, were killed in an encounter with police in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Monday morning.

According to news agency PTI, the encounter occurred in Tonto and Goilkera area, they said. Four Maoists were killed in the gunfight, while two have been arrested, Jharkhand Police spokesperson and IG (Operations), Amol V Homkar, told PTI.

Among the four killed Maoists, one was a zonal commander, one sub-zonal commander, one area commander and a cadre of the organisation, the IG said. Two Maoists including a woman Maoist were also arrested and one of them is an area commander of the organisation.

Another police officer said that the security personnel were out for a search operation. Meanwhile, the Maoists, who were lying in ambush, started firing and police returned the fire in which four Maoists were killed. He said that the search operation is still going on.

According to news agency IANS, the encounter took place when security forces and police teams, acting on intelligence about Maoist gatherings in the Guwa forest, came under fire from the militants.

In retaliation, the security forces killed four Maoists in a gun fight that lasted almost an hour. 

Additionally, two Maoists were arrested, some were injured, and several weapons, as well as other items, were recovered from the site, as per reports. No casualties were reported among the security forces.

The area where the encounter took place is part of the ‘tri-junction’ region, encompassing the forested borders of Chaibasa, Seraikela, and Khunti districts, which is known for heavy Maoist activity. In the past two years, Maoists have executed more than two dozen landmine blasts in this region, causing the deaths of over a dozen people and security personnel. These operations are often led by notorious commanders Misir Besra and Patiram Manjhi.