Jharkhand security apparatus struck gold in the Saranda wilderness of West Singhbhum, neutralizing 15 Naxals on Thursday, spearheaded by the demise of top Maoist Patiram Manjhi alias Unal Da carrying a Rs 1 crore price tag. Three women featured among the fallen in this unprecedented sweep.
Identified casualties: Anmol (Sushant), Amit Munda, Pintu Lohra, Laljit (Lalu), Rajesh Munda, Bulbul Alda, Babita, Purnima, Surajmuni, Jonga—many with Odisha and NIA bounties, linked to countless atrocities in Central Committee Unal’s Kolhan outfit.
Unal Da, Giridih’s two-decade veteran with 149 cases, commanded Rs 1 crore (Jharkhand), Rs 1.2 crore (Odisha), Rs 15 lakh (NIA) rewards. His group dominated Chaibasa’s IED and ambush campaigns post-2022.
Per CRPF IG Saket Kumar Singh, Operation Medha Buru kicked off at 6:30 AM in Kiriburu’s thickets via Cobra 209, Jaguars, CRPF, district police. Naxal barrage triggered defensive volleys in multi-stage combat.
Seizures included bodies, heavy weaponry, munitions, essentials. This decimates threats near Odisha, projecting Jharkhand’s Naxal strength at 50-60. Rehabilitation pleas echo as intensified patrols and reinforcements secure the zone.