In an incident on Thursday afternoon, a Maoist insurgent was reported killed during a gunfight between security forces and members of the red rebel group in Jharkhand's Chatra district, as confirmed by the police. The encounter unfolded within a forested region along the Khunti-Chaibasa-Ranchi border, located about 90 kilometers from the state capital.
"An area commander of a Maoist group was killed in an encounter with security forces along the Khunti-Chaibasa-Ranchi border. The area commander has been identified as Budhram Munda. A search operation is still on," Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Ranchi, Anoop Birtharay told PTI.
The operation against the Maoists was initiated jointly by the CRPF's Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and the Jharkhand Police from the Chaibasa side, as per the statement provided. This encounter unfolded just two days before the Lok Sabha polls scheduled for Ranchi, Giridih, Dhanbad, and Jamshedpur seats on May 25.