Six Naxals were killed and over 600 bullets and a dozen Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) recovered on Wednesday after a gun-battle with the CRPF commandos in the jungles of Jharkhand’s Maoist hotbed of Latehar district.
Officials said the encounter began at about 7 a.m. in the Karamdih-Chhipadohar jungles on the banks of north Koel river, where a squad of the CoBRA commandos of the CRPF was out for operations.
“We have recovered six bodies of Naxals in uniform, 600 bullets of various calibre, about 12 IEDs, an INSAS rifle, an SLR, a carbine and three other firearms. Search operations are still on,” CRPF Inspector General (Operations) in Jharkhand Sanjay A. Lathkar told PTI.
The IG added that some more explosives and cordex wires, used to trigger IEDs, was recovered from the spot, over 130 km from here.
Officials said the team of 209th Battalion of the CoBRA, along with other units, was out for operation since the last two days and the encounter started when the Maoists fired at the squad.
The gun-battle continued for sometime after which the bodies of the Naxals, wearing black uniforms, were recovered, the IG said.
The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) is an elite jungle warfare unit of the Central Reserve Police Force deployed extensively for anti-Naxal operations.
