NEW DELHI: Jharkhand police on Saturday neutralised two Naxalites of the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad ( JJMP ), who had a bounty of Rs 10 and Rs 5 lakh, respectively.
Pappu Lohra , the chief of the JJMP, who had an award of Rs 10 lakh on his head and Prabhat Ganjhu , the zonal commander of the naxal group, who had a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on his head, were eliminated.
"It's a big day for all the security forces working in Jharkhand to eliminate naxalism. JJMP naxal group - along with its Supremo Pappu Lohra - were gathered in Latehar PS area for inducing violence... A police team was in a search operation in the forest area when the naxal group opened fire - the police retaliated, and the encounter went on for a long time. Police later searched the area, where 2 bodies were recovered and another naxal was injured," Amol Vinukant Homkar, IG Operations, Jharkhand Police, told news agency ANI.
The encounter is part of the government's effort to eliminate the red terror, as it comes days after a big breakthrough in the anti-Naxal operations that led to the elimination of topmost Maoist leader Nambala Keshav Rao, better known as Basavaraju , along with 26 battle-hardened communist guerrillas in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur.
The 70-year-old was the mastermind behind some of the deadliest Maoist attacks, including the 2010 killing of 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and the 2013 Jheeram Ghati massacre of 29, including several state Congress leaders.
The killing of Basavaraju, the general secretary (the topmost rank) of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), has not only rendered the organiation headless, but also taken away its chief military strategist who was known for his technical prowess, operational planning and violent disposition. With “Basavaraju’s elimination” 10 months ahead of the March 2026 deadline set by the government to eliminate red terror, the end could come much sooner, according to a source.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the security forces for their “remarkable success”, while Union home minister Amit Shah called it a “landmark achievement” in the government’s anti-Naxal campaign.
Basavaraju’s killing is the result of a massive operation that was launched on May 19 in the dense forests of Abhujmad, located at the tri-junction of Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh. A fierce gunfight ensued between the security forces and Maoist fighters, leading to the death of 27 Naxals on May 21.
Pappu Lohra , the chief of the JJMP, who had an award of Rs 10 lakh on his head and Prabhat Ganjhu , the zonal commander of the naxal group, who had a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on his head, were eliminated.
"It's a big day for all the security forces working in Jharkhand to eliminate naxalism. JJMP naxal group - along with its Supremo Pappu Lohra - were gathered in Latehar PS area for inducing violence... A police team was in a search operation in the forest area when the naxal group opened fire - the police retaliated, and the encounter went on for a long time. Police later searched the area, where 2 bodies were recovered and another naxal was injured," Amol Vinukant Homkar, IG Operations, Jharkhand Police, told news agency ANI.
The encounter is part of the government's effort to eliminate the red terror, as it comes days after a big breakthrough in the anti-Naxal operations that led to the elimination of topmost Maoist leader Nambala Keshav Rao, better known as Basavaraju , along with 26 battle-hardened communist guerrillas in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur.
The 70-year-old was the mastermind behind some of the deadliest Maoist attacks, including the 2010 killing of 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and the 2013 Jheeram Ghati massacre of 29, including several state Congress leaders.
The killing of Basavaraju, the general secretary (the topmost rank) of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), has not only rendered the organiation headless, but also taken away its chief military strategist who was known for his technical prowess, operational planning and violent disposition. With “Basavaraju’s elimination” 10 months ahead of the March 2026 deadline set by the government to eliminate red terror, the end could come much sooner, according to a source.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the security forces for their “remarkable success”, while Union home minister Amit Shah called it a “landmark achievement” in the government’s anti-Naxal campaign.
Basavaraju’s killing is the result of a massive operation that was launched on May 19 in the dense forests of Abhujmad, located at the tri-junction of Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh. A fierce gunfight ensued between the security forces and Maoist fighters, leading to the death of 27 Naxals on May 21.
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