PATNA, Aug. 6 -- Bihar police on Tuesday claimed that there are only three armed hardcore Maoists active in the state and they have been served an ultimatum to either surrender or be ready to face the bullets of the security forces combing the forests ahead of election. A senior police officer said that while Maoism is gasping for breadth in the state, the three armed hardcore Maoists roaming free are Suresh Koda, Narayan Koda and Bahadur Koda, who are suspected to be active in the Jamui-Munger-Lakhisarai tri-junction around Haweli Kharagpur forest and hilly areas. "Maoism has been wiped out in North Bihar, but on the Palamu-Aurangabad border a Maoist named Nitesh Yadav is said to be active. He is residing in hilly areas of Palamu in Jharkhand," he said. "In the last three months, three Maoists have so far surrendered. Bihar's wanted Maoists Pravesh Da is also active in Giridih (Jharkhand) border. Suresh Koda narrowly escaped in an encounter with the Special Task Force (STF) on July 7 in Rajasarai forest under Haweli Kharagpur (Munger)," he added. ADG, Headquarters, Kundan Krishnan, who holds the additional charge of ADG (Operation), said that the Central government's deadline is to completely uproot Naxals by March 2026. "The security forces have intensified hunt for them. The best option for them is to lay down their arms and surrender. We want to make them understand that there is no other way out for them, without which they will be vulnerable to action by security forces," he added. ADG Krishnan said that the security forces had intensified patrolling in forests and hilly regions and if they are attacked, they would return fire. Kundan said that since January and July 31, four Hardcore Maoists had surrendered before the police while 11 criminals and three Maoists had been injured in an exchange of firing with STF. In the last seven and half months, the STF arrested more than 725 criminals, most of them carrying rewards on their heads Rs.25,000 to Rs.2 lakh. STF recovered three SLR, two AK47 assault rifles, Insas, Carbine, two 303 rifles, 175 country made weapons, two grenades, 69 IEDs, one pressure bomb, 52 incomplete firearms, 82 magazines from the arrested persons. The STF already activated a bank and jewellery loot cell in which they provide logistic support to the district police. The STF caught seven persons involved in Danapur Jiva jewellers dacoity case, 15 persons arrested from Jammu, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Vaishali involved in Ara Tanishq jewellery loot case and four persons arrested in Bank of Maharashtra branch loot case of Samastipur. "In comparison to 2024, this year a total fourteen encounters took place with criminals. In 2024 the number of encounters will be eight. Eighty two Maoists had been arrested till July 15 this year, while in 2024, a total of 44 were arrested. Nineteen firearms will be seized in 2024 while 30 firearms seized in 2025. Similarly, 3,681 live cartridges recovered in 2024 this goes upto 7,638 till July 15 this year," added Kundan. In 2014, there were 14 LWE affected districts in Bihar, which increased to 16 in 2018, but came down to just 10 in 2021 and eight in 2024. Now, Munger, Lakhisarai, Jamui, Nawada, Gaya, Aurangabad, Rohtas and Kaimur districts have been identified as "legacy and thrust Districts". Hardcore LWE member of East Bihar and Eastern Jharkhand Bhola Koda alias Vikas Da alias Rohit Koda, carrying a reward of Rs.2 lakh on his head surrendered before senior police officials of Munger on July 28. On June 20, Maoist sub-zonal commander Akhilesh Singh Bhokta alias Patarki (30), carrying a reward of Rs.3 lakh on his head, surrendered before senior police officials of Gaya. Following his surrender, a joint team of CRPF, SSB and BSAP recovered 60 IEDs weighing 1 kg each and defused them in the hilly and forest area. He surrendered with a semi automatic rifle and a magazine. On June 7, area commander Rawan Koda, carrying a reward of Rs.3 lakh on his head, surrendered with the presence of Lakhisarai SP and STF officials. He was active in Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Koda evaded arrest for 15 years and is wanted in 28 Maoists related cases lodged with Munger, Lakhisarai and Jamui districts....