Dawn broke with the crack of gunfire in Jharkhand’s Saranda jungle as security forces battled entrenched Naxals near Chhotanagara, inflicting heavy tolls and scavenging arms from the battlefield. The multi-hour melee continues with search teams scouring the underbrush.
Intelligence on rebel congregation in Kumbhidih village galvanized the dawn raid. Hidden Naxals unleashed a barrage, countered effectively by prepared responders who held firm through relentless exchanges.
Reinforced cordons box in the area under senior oversight. Confirming the fray, DIG Kolhan Anuranjan Kispotta outlined the active pursuit, with IG Michael Raj detailing rebel setbacks from persisting volleys.
Among the fallen: a reputed Rs 50 lakh bounty leader and cohorts, per sources, with bodies, guns, ammo, and gear retrieved—key cogs in the Maoist machine, hunted across cases.
Against a backdrop of ramped-up offensives, this first 2026 clash follows 2025’s 25+ eliminations, highlighted by Chaibasa’s June successes in Tonto-Goilkera targeting command ranks. The state’s anti-Naxal surge persists unabated.