Bokaro: In a major breakthrough in anti-Naxal operations, security forces gunned down eight hardcore Naxalites in a joint operation conducted by the Jharkhand Police, Jharkhand Jaguar, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Bokaro district on Monday morning.
The encounter occurred around 5:30–6:00 AM during a coordinated search operation at Luguburu hill in the Lalpania area, under the jurisdiction of the Yogeshwar Bihar police station. Acting on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of heavily armed insurgents, the security forces launched a combing operation in the dense forest terrain of Lugu Pahar.
Among the eight Naxals killed were top leaders Prayag Manjhi, who carried a bounty of ₹1 crore, and Saheb Ram Majhi, a Zonal Committee member with a reward of ₹10 lakh on his head. Authorities believe the group was plotting a major attack in the region.
Confirming the development, Jharkhand Director General of Police Anurag Gupta stated that the operation led to a fierce exchange of fire and culminated in a significant blow to Naxal activities in the area. “Three senior Naxal leaders have been identified, and efforts are ongoing to ascertain the identities of the remaining five,” he added.
Security forces also recovered a substantial cache of arms and ammunition, including four INSAS rifles, one SLR, one revolver, and various items of daily use believed to have been used by the Naxals during their hideout in the forest.
A search operation is still underway to track down any remaining insurgents and uncover further hidden weapon stockpiles.
This operation marks a significant success for the security forces in Jharkhand, following a similar encounter on January 22, when two Naxals were neutralized.
