Major Blow to Naxals: Eight, Including Top Leader with Rs 1 Crore Bounty, Killed in Jharkhand

Security forces achieved a significant victory in their campaign against Naxalism on Monday, neutralizing eight Naxals, including a senior Maoist leader carrying a Rs 1 crore bounty, in a fierce encounter in Jharkhand’s Bokaro district, officials reported.

The clash occurred at approximately 5:30 AM in the Lugu Hills of the Lalpania area, where the Central Reserve Police Force’s elite 209th CoBRA Battalion, alongside local police, engaged the insurgents. The operation yielded a substantial cache of arms, including an AK-series rifle, three INSAS rifles, a self-loading rifle, eight improvised firearms, and a pistol, authorities confirmed.

No casualties were reported among the security forces, according to official statements.

This operation supports the Indian government’s objective to eliminate Naxalism by March 2026.

In a related development, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai is set to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday evening to discuss strategies to combat Naxalism and other pertinent issues.

Security sources indicate that Chhattisgarh, considered the last bastion of Left Wing Extremism, has witnessed over 140 Maoist fatalities in various encounters throughout the year.