PLFI cadre killed in Simdega encounter

Gumla: A joint team of Simdega district police and Jharkhand Jaguar on Sunday gunned down a PLFI cadre and injured an area commander of the outlawed group, besides capturing five others, including two women cadres, in an encounter at a forested area bordering Odisha.
Arms and ammunition, including one AK-47 rifle, four .314 rifles and a pistol, were found from the encounter site at Junadih forest under Jaldega police station of the district.
Talking to TOI, Simdega SP Sanjiv Kumar said, “Acting on a tip-off about the movement of PLFI cadres, we launched an operation on Saturday night. As the forces reached the forest early this morning, rebels fired at us. We also retaliated and a rebel named Pandit, who was the bodyguard of PLFI zonal commander Sachit Singh, was killed. Bano area commander Praveen Kandulna alias Natwar was injured and is undergoing treatment a the sadar hospital in Simdega.”
Those arrested are identified as Johnson Barla (25), an area commander of Kolebira, Moylen Bading (21), Birsa Kongari (19) and two women cadres — Sanika Kandulna (20) and Hemanti Topno.
Kumar said, “Three other PLFI leaders, including Sachit Singh, Shamu and Tilkeshwar managed to escape.”
During the gunfight, over 250 rounds were exchanged. The security forces were led by Jharkhand Jaguar assault group deputy commandants R S Pande, Shashi Bhushan Singh and assistant commandant Vibhaj Turkey. “Around four to five days ago, the same group had carried out an attack in Sundargarh district of Odisha,” the SP added.