Five Maoists killed in an encounter with paramilitary in Jharkhand

Ranchi: Atleast five Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jharkhand’s Khunti district on Tuesday, police said.

Following  tip-off about the presence of Maoists, the state police and Central Reserve Police Force launched a search operation on Monday night in a forest in Arki.

Five Maoists were killed while one has been critically injured. There has been no injury to the troops and a search of the encounter site is on, an official said, adding that the identity of the killed and injured is being established.

A team of CRPF’s 209 CoBRA battalion and state police had an exchange of fire with Maoists near Jharkhand’s Rotkatoli village along the border of Khunti and West Singhbhum districts around 6:20 am, said an official.

The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) is a special jungle warfare unit of the CRPF and is deployed in the state for anti-Maoist operations.

During the search Maoists opened fire, leading to a gun battle, the police said, adding the five bodies have been recovered along with two AK-47 rifles, a .303 rifle and five pistols from the Maoists, they added.