In a major breakthrough for security forces, a high-ranking Maoist commander with a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head was killed along with two other senior rebel leaders during an encounter in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district. The operation unfolded early Monday morning in the dense Pantitri forest area, located within the Gorhar police station limits, near the Giridih-Bokaro border.

The most prominent insurgent neutralised was Sahdeo Soren (also known as Parvesh), a Central Committee member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). Soren was considered one of the most wanted Maoist leaders in eastern India, known for his involvement in several major Maoist activities across Jharkhand and Bihar. Alongside him, two other senior Maoist cadres—Raghunath Hembram alias Chanchal, carrying a Rs 25 lakh reward, and Birsen Ganjhu alias Ramkhelawan, with a Rs 10 lakh bounty—were also killed in the fierce gunfight.

The encounter was the result of meticulous intelligence inputs prompting a coordinated joint operation by the CoBRA battalion of the CRPF, Giridih Police, and Hazaribagh Police. The clash began around 6 am and saw security forces successfully recovering the bodies of the three insurgents as well as seizing several AK-47 rifles. No injuries were reported among the security personnel.

This success marks another important milestone in the ongoing crackdown on Maoist insurgency in the region. The CoBRA battalion alone has neutralised around 20 hardcore Naxal operatives this year and recovered substantial caches of weapons, explosives, and ammunition. The Jharkhand police highlighted that security operations have intensified substantially, with an average of three encounters occurring monthly over the past eight months, leading to the elimination of 30 Maoists and several criminals.

The killing of Sahdeo Soren is a significant blow to the Maoist leadership, considering his strategic role in the organization and the high-level bounty placed on him for years. This operation underscores the determined efforts of the security forces to dismantle the Maoist network, which continues to pose a major challenge to internal security in several parts of India. With sustained anti-Maoist campaigns and improved intelligence, authorities are hopeful of steadily curbing insurgent activities in Jharkhand and surrounding states.

This encounter follows another recent incident where a Maoist commander from a splinter group was eliminated, further showcasing the tightening grip of the security apparatus on insurgent factions. As authorities deepen their forest combing and surveillance, they remain vigilant for escaping rebels who may still be hiding in the dense terrain.