Jharkhand: Seven ‘Jaguar Force’ Jawans Martyred, Four Others Critically Injured In Maoist-Triggered Blast

Seven jawans of Jharkhand Police’s specially trained ‘Jaguar Force’ were martyred and four others were injured, all them of them critically, in a landmine blast triggered by Maoists in Burapahar range on the border between the states’s western Latehar and Garhwa districts on Tuesday (26 June) evening. A joint team of CRPF, Jaguar Force and police had gone to the hunt down Maoists after receiving information on the presence of the rebels in Chinjo area of Garhwa.

As the security forces were approaching the area, the Maoists triggered the powerful landmine blast and opened fire, killing six jawans of the Jaguar Force on the spot. Another jawan of the anti-Maoist force succumbed to his injuries later. Senior police officers said that additional forces have been rushed to the area and a massive manhunt has been launched. However, the rebels could have fled to adjoining areas of southeastern Uttar Pradesh or northeastern Chhattisgarh.

This was the second encounter between the Maoists and security forces over the past three days. On Sunday (24 June), the two sides were engaged in a gun-battle at Kujrum in Latehar district. Latehar and Garhwa are Maoist hotbeds who find it easy to escape to Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh after carrying out operations there.

Maoists from Chattisgarh also often known to take shelter in Garhwa and Latehar and the only way to flush them out is to carry out massive joint operations in the border regions of the three states. The Burapahar range along the Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border straddles Jharkhand’s Garhwa and Latehar districts and Chhattisgarh Balrampur district. The area is believed to be the hideout of dreaded Maoist leader Sudhakaran who carries a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head.