Two soldiers were killed and another critically injured in an encounter with Maoists of the banned Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC) in Jharkhand’s Palamu district, officials said on Thursday.
The gun battle broke out in the dense Kedal forest between 1 am and 1:30 am on Wednesday when a police team was conducting a search operation.
The operation was launched after intelligence inputs claimed that TSPC’s dreaded zonal commander Shashikant Ganjhu, who carries a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, might visit his native village Kedal during the Karma festival.
"As the security personnel reached the village, TSPC members spotted them and opened fire. In the ensuing gunfight, three security personnel received bullet injuries,” Palamu Superintendent of Police (SP) Reeshma Ramesan told PTI news agency.
The Naxals escaped from the spot, following which a search operation has been launched.
The killed soldiers have been identified as Santan Kumar and Sunil Ram. The injured jawan is undergoing treatment at Medinirai Medical College and Hospital in Daltonganj.
The Kedal-Manatu belt has long been regarded as a bastion of the TSPC, a splinter group of CPI (Maoist). Security agencies believe that Ganjhu is spearheading the outfit’s activities in the region and continues to be the key figure behind Maoist extortion.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren expressed grief over the death of two security personnel.
"The martyrdom of two police personnel, Santan Mehta Ji and Sunil Ram Ji, during a special operation in the Kedla jungle under the Manatu area of Palamu is extremely painful. May Marang Buru grant peace to the souls of the departed brave martyrs and give strength to their grieving families to bear this hour of sorrow," Soren posted on X.