A Maoist cadre was killed in an early morning encounter with security forces in the forested Kolhan region of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Wednesday, officials said.
The exchange of fire took place in the remote Rutagutu forests under the Tonto police station area of the district.
The identity of the deceased Maoist is yet to be confirmed. Security personnel recovered the body along with weapons and other materials from the site, which have been seized for investigation.
According to sources, the operation was launched following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of a Maoist squad in the hilly forest terrain of Rutagutu.
A joint team of the CoBRA 209 Battalion and the local police initiated a search operation. At around 4:30 am, the forces came under fire from Maoists who were lying in ambush. The security forces retaliated, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire.
Officials said that security forces had been conducting intensive combing operations for the past two days in nearby areas under the Goilkera police station, including Boroi and Tunbeda villages. The Maoists, reportedly alerted to the movement of the forces, shifted base to Rutagutu and prepared for the ambush.
The operation came in the backdrop of the recent killing of former Maoist Ramesh Champia in the Goilkera region, which had raised concerns within security agencies. Intelligence inputs suggested renewed activity of a Maoist group allegedly linked to senior leader Misir Besra in the area.
Security officials believe Maoists are increasingly operating in smaller, mobile units instead of large groups, enabling swift attacks and quick dispersal into forest cover.
Following the encounter, a high alert has been sounded across the Kolhan and Saranda regions. Additional forces have been deployed, and efforts are underway to seal possible escape routes.
Security agencies are also using drone surveillance to monitor movement in the dense forest zones as part of the ongoing anti-Maoist operations.
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