Latehar, May 26 -- In a major setback to the CPI (Maoist) insurgency in Jharkhand, a top Naxalite commander carrying a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on his head was killed in a joint security operation in Latehar district.
The encounter occurred in the dense forests between Karamkhar and Dhowna villages under the Mahuadanr police station limits, starting late Sunday night and continuing into Monday morning.
The slain Naxalite, identified as Manish Yadav from Bihar's Gaya district, had been an active operative in the Maoist stronghold of Budha Pahad for over a decade.
Acting on specific intelligence, a coordinated operation by CRPF's CoBRA unit, Jharkhand Jaguar, and the district police led to an intense exchange of fire, killing Yadav and leading...