Latehar (Jharkhand)

Jharkhand Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, in an ongoing operation against Naxals in jungles around Latehar on Friday.

Jharkhand police said the seized materials include INSAS rifle, pistol, 1590 cartridges, 19 magazines, one hand grenade, 13 IEDs, cortex wires, 187 detonators, 13 batteries, and other materials. It was the 11th day of continuous operation on Friday against top Naxal and regional commander of CPI (Maoist) Ravinder Ganjhu, his subordinates, and cadre.

Massive combing operations involving personnel of CoBRA, CRPF, Jharkhand Jaguar and Lohardaga, and Latehar districts Police began on February 8 but during an encounter with security forces, Naxals escaped in the dense jungle.

As many as three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and CoBRA jawans were seriously injured in two IED blasts during a search operation.

The police further said that the Naxal leader Ravinder Ghanjhu, Chhottu Singh Khairwar, Balram Oraon, Muneshwar Ghanjhu, and other Naxal leaders including 30-40 cadres had been noticed in the area of village Bulbul in Lohardaga district and were planning to attack development work in the area.

Ravinder Ghanjhu is very active in the areas of Lohardaga, Latehar, and Gumla districts, police said.

Ghanjhu and his group members were involved in other incidents earlier. Ghanjhu was prime accused in the IED blast on May 3, 2011, at Dhardharia village and Lohardaga district in which six CRPF and five Jharkhand Police personnel were killed in action.