5 CoBRA personnel hurt in gun battle with Maoists in Jharkhand

Jamshedpur: Five CoBRA personnel were injured in an exchange of fire with Maoists in Saranda forest in West Singhbhum district on Wednesday.The gun battle began in the north of Baliba under Chotanagra police station limits, and then spread to more than one location in the hilly terrain, police said.

In the early hours of Wednesday, security forces and district police jointly launched a combing operation in Baliba after receiving inputs about the movement of Maoist operative Misir Besra in the area.Besra, a senior Maoist politburo member, who carries a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head, was reportedly guiding his squad to a safer location when security personnel raided the site. The Maoists opened fire on spotting the security personnel, who retaliated in self-defence.“Four security personnel were airlifted to Ranchi for medical treatment. They are out of danger. The fifth personnel sustained minor splinter injuries,” said SP of West Singhbhum, Amit Renu.The SP said that though there are reports of casualties among Maoists in the ongoing battle but they are yet to be verified.“The operation is underway and our only objective is to conduct it successfully. Details of the operation will be shared after it ends,” the SP said.

Multiple security agencies are involved in the ground operation, and intermittent firing is going on between the Maoist cadres and security personnel.The Besra squad, which is active in Saranda forest, has been continuously shifting its base for the last four months due to heightened anti-extremist operation.