Maoist killed in gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand

    Chaibasa (Jharkhand), Aug 13 (PTI) A member of the banned CPI (Maoist) was killed in a gunfight between the red rebels and security forces in West Singhbhum district on Wednesday, police said.
    The encounter took place during a search operation in Dugunia, Posaita and Tumbagara areas under Goilkera Police Station limits around 6 am when members of the outfit “opened fire at the security forces”, a senior officer said.
    "An exchange of fire took place between Maoists and security forces in which a member of the CPI (Maoist) was killed," Kolhan IGP Manoj Kaushik told PTI.
    A rifle, cartridges and other items were recovered from the place of occurrence, he said.
    The West Singhbhum Police received an intelligence input on Tuesday that top leaders of the CPI (Maoist) had gathered in Kolhan area to carry out a major incident on the occasion of Independence Day, an official release said.
    “Based on the inputs, a joint team was formed that launched a search operation in Dugunia, Posaita and Tumbagara areas. Upon seeing the security forces, the Maoists opened fire. The personnel retaliated in self-defense, in which the Maoist was killed,” it said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)