Anti-Maoist operations on border

RANCHI/JAMSHEDPUR/PURULIA: A CoBRA jawan of CRPF based in Salboni in Bengal was injured in a gun battle with the CPI (Maoist) ultras in the hilly terrains of Basadera in Tinkonia forests bordering Bengal under Ghatshila PS area in Jharkhand on Sunday morning.
IG and spokesperson of Jharkhand police, R K Mallik, said the operation was conducted by Bengal police, CoBRA battalion based in Bengal and Jharkhand police was put on alert.“One CoBRA jawan sustained minor injuries as a bullet grazed him. He was airlifted to Ranchi for treatment and is out of danger,“ he said. The jawan, Omprakash Yadav, was hospitalized and his family in Allahabad was contacted. Security forces from Bengal were combing the forest as there were inputs that an armed squad of the CPI (Maoist) in which there was Aswin Mondal alias Akash -Bengal state secretary -was camping there. The encounter lasted for over an hour. Police sources said during the encounter Maoist squad members were also injured. But the forces have no information about Akash or his aides, including Atul Mahato.
Maoist commanders Akash and Sachin control operations across Ghatshila-Bandwan-Patamda-Dalma range stretched in Jharkhand and Bengal. “Joint operation will continue on Monday ,“ said Purulia SP Joy Biswas.