KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, June 17: In an encounter between police and Naxals, five rebels were killed in the hilly terrain under Gua and Jataya thana areas in West Singhbhum early on Monday morning.
The killed rebels also include a lady. Arms and ammunition have also been recovered from the encounter scene.
Dead Naxals identified, two arrested
Those killed were identified as zonal committee member Kandey Honhaga, sub-zonal committee member Singhrai alias Manoj Kunjam, squad members Jonga, Surya alias Monata Devgam and the lady Naxal Sapni Hansda.
Apart from these casualties, the police and paramilitary forces have arrested two Naxals who were identified as Pondu Hansda (area commander) and Batari Banta (squad member).
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Hour-long encounter in Kolhan forest
According to a press release issued by the West Singhbhum police, the SP, Ashutosh Shekhar had got an intelligence input that Ajay Mahto and Kandey Honhaga were anchored in the hilly terrain under Gua and the adjoining Jataya thana areas in the dense Kolhan forest.
On the basis of the information, the police had launched an anti-insurgency operation since early morning today. But at around 5.30 am, the police and the paramilitary forces were rained with shots by the Naxals. The paramilitary forces retaliated the fire in the encounter which continued for about an hour.
But given the superior firepower of the paramilitary forces, the Naxals had retreated abruptly. Later during a search operation, the police recovered four bullet-ridden bodies from the encounter scene.
Later in the afternoon, a massive search operation was carried out in the presence of SP, Ashutosh Shekhar and during this time only the paramilitary forces recovered the body of the lady Naxal.
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