Bokaro (Jharkhand): A fierce gunfight broke out early Tuesday between security forces and Naxal insurgents in the dense Kashtitand forest near Lugu Hills, located under Jageshwar Bihar police station limits in Bokaro district. The encounter is ongoing, with intermittent firing reported from both sides.
Sources say a Cobra Battalion commando has sustained injuries in the crossfire and has been airlifted to Ranchi for urgent medical treatment. His condition remains under close observation.
Reports also indicate that Kunwar Manjhi, a notorious Naxal leader with a bounty of ₹25 lakh, may have been hit by police bullets during the encounter. However, official confirmation is still awaited. Manjhi is a known hardcore Maoist leader in the Jharkhand region and has been on law enforcement’s radar for years.
Bokaro SP Harvinder Singh confirmed the encounter and stated it took place between the Jhumra and Lugu Hills. He also noted that communication is proving difficult due to poor network connectivity in the forested area, causing delays in information flow. A search and clearance operation is currently underway to determine the full outcome of the confrontation.
This encounter is taking place in the same mountainous zone where earlier in April, security forces had neutralized eight Naxals, including one carrying a bounty of ₹1 crore. That operation was one of the biggest anti-Naxal successes in recent months.
Security has been tightened in the region, and reinforcements have been sent in. The operation is part of a larger crackdown against left-wing extremism in Jharkhand, which remains one of the most Naxal-affected states in India.
Further updates are expected once the operation concludes and officials can verify casualties and the status of top insurgent leaders involved.
