Cops kill 3 Maoists in Aurangabad district

AURANGABAD/PATNA: At least three Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces near Chakarbanda forest in Naxal-infested Aurangabad district on Thursday afternoon. The forces, who did not suffer any casualties, also destroyed a makeshift camp set up by the rebels and seized a cache of weapons, including an AK-47 rifle.
“A telephone call received in Bodh Gaya on the afternoon of July 22 led to the success of the security forces.The caller had informed us that heavily armed members of CPI (Maoist) from Jharkhand had infiltrated into the forest on the border of Gaya and Aurangabad districts and had orders to carry out a big operation against the security forces. Even the CRPF’s intelligence wing shared some inputs on the congregation of the extremists,” said a senior police officer, adding that the operation was monitored by top police officials.
Acting on the tip-off, the team comprising district armed police, CRPF and CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) personnel cordoned off the area and began a search operation on Thursday morning. Seeing the personnel moving towards their makeshift camp, the Maoists opened fire on the forces around 12.30pm. The forces retaliated, causing bullet injuries to at least three Maoists. The encounter went on for three hours before the other rebels managed to escape, taking advantage of the heavy rain and the area’s topography.
Thursday’s operation was the second big jolt to Maoists in three days after Madkam Hidma, said to be the right-hand man of the new self-proclaimed commander Basavraj, was killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.
The officer said the camp set up by the rebels was wiped out by the security forces. The Maoists had planted five improvised explosive devices near the camp to deter the forces, but they were defused by personnel of the bomb disposal squad.
Aurangabad additional superintendent of police (operation) Rajesh Kumar Singh said at least 500 rounds were fired from both sides, leaving three Maoists dead. “The identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained,” he said. Singh did not, however, rule out the possibility of more Maoists being killed or injured in the encounter.
The forces seized an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle, two Insas rifles and four country-made rifles from the encounter site. Intel inputs had suggested that the rebels had planned to carry out a major operation against the forces in the Aurangabad-Gaya region.
Aurangabad SP Deepak Barnwal said, “Efforts are underway to ascertain the identity of the three Maoists killed in the gunbattle. The search operation in the area will continue.”