Chaibasa, Jan 22 : Fifteen Maoists, including top leader Anal Da who was carrying a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Thursday, police said.
Around 1,500 personnel of the CRPF’s CoBRA unit are engaged in the operation in Saranda forest’s Kumdi in the Kiriburu police station area, they said.
“We have recovered the bodies of 15 Maoists, including their top leader Patiram Majhi alias Anal Da. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition has also been recovered. The encounter, which began at 6 am, is still on,” a statement from the police headquarters here said.
The anti-Maoist operation has been on in the Saranda forest since Tuesday, but the exchange of fire began on Thursday morning, he said.
Inspector General of Police (Operations) Michael Raj S told PTI that the operation was started after the police received a tip-off about the presence of Anal Da, along with his squad, in Saranda forest.
A resident of Pirtand in Giridih district, Anal Da had been active since 1987. Police have been searching for him for years.
CRPF Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh visited Chaibasa, the district headquarters of West Singhbhum, on Monday.
Kolhan and Saranda are considered the last strongholds of Maoists in Jharkhand. Security forces have effectively curtailed their activities in Buda Pahad, Chatra, Latehar, Gumla, Lohardaga, Ranchi, and Parasnath, officials said.
Leader of the opposition in Jharkhand Assembly and former state BJP chief Babulal Marandi described the killing of Maoists, including a Naxalite with a bounty of Rs 1 crore, as a major success against “red terror”.
“All the personnel involved in this operation have demonstrated indomitable courage, valor, and dedication to duty. Under the leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji and the Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji, the Central Government is steadfastly moving forward with the resolve to eradicate Naxalism from its roots by March 2026”, Marandi said in a post on X.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has time and again asserted that the Centre was committed to eradicate the menace of Naxalism from the country before March 31, 2026.
More than 11,000 Maoists have been arrested, around 250 killed and over 350 surrendered before security forces across Jharkhand between 2001 and 2025. During the period, police also seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition. (PTI)
