12 Maoists killed in late-night attack

Daltonganj/Ranchi: Twelve Maoists, including a zonal commander who was carrying a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, were gunned down by a joint team of police and special forces at Baluahi Tongri near Palamu-Latehar border, only half a kilometre from NH-75, late on Monday night, police told mediapersons on Tuesday.
DGP D K Pandey termed the operation — and the death of zonal commander Anurag Yadav alias RKji alias Doctorji in particular — a “big success”.
Doctorji was instrumental in the 2013 Maoist attack in Latehar’s Katiya forest, in which the rebels planted a bomb in a CRPF jawan’s body that killed 13 security personnel. He was also close to Nukul Yadav, a top Maoist leader from Chatra. “The Maoists were planning to disturb the inauguration of a police camp at Kumandi forest in Latehar district on Wednesday,” said Pandey.
The security team, comprising Palamu police and CoBRA and Jharkhand Jaguar personnel, found bodies of all the fallen Maoists, most of whom were in jeans and T-shirts, and identified them as active cadres. Two Insas rifles, an American 30-06 Springfield rifle, four 3.03 rifles, a semi-automatic rifle and ammunition were also seized. None in the security force was injured in the encounter that lasted till 2.45am.
Police said the security personnel were lying in ambush when two SUVs were spotted on the road connecting Palamu with Latehar districts through Satbarwa around 12.15am. They started firing indiscriminately at the vehicles. Those who got out of the first SUV to return fire were killed on the spot and the others fled with the car, police added.
Asked whether the Maoists were given any warning to surrender, DGP Pandey said, “Yes. They were asked to surrender but they continued firing on our boys which was returned.”
Pandey, along with ADG (operations) S N Pradhan and CRPF IG (Jharkhand sector) Rakesh Kumar Mishra, visited the spot after the incident. “The Maoists were in the Kumandi forest for the last few days and were returning from Latehar... We had inputs of the extremists’ movement and we prepared a joint team and sent it to the specific area on Monday evening,” Pandey said, adding that the adjoining districts have been put on alert.
A police officer said the second SUV, which has been seized, was registered in West Bengal in the name of Mantu Sah and N Jhara Sarkar.
The killing of 12 cadres is seen as a big jolt to Maoists active in Palamu and Latehar districts. “The Maoists are going through a low phase and have been weak for a long time. This incident has further damaged their morale. They might try to retaliate,” CRPF IG Mishra said.
CRPF DG Prakash Mishra with a five member CRPF team arrived in Jharkhand to take stock of the anti-Maoist operations in wake of the incident.