Overview
- Three Maoists were killed in the Pantitri forest of Hazaribagh during a joint 209 CoBRA–Jharkhand police operation, including central committee member Sahadev Soren with a ₹1 crore bounty.
- The other two slain were identified as Raghunath Hembram, a special area committee member with a ₹25 lakh reward, and Birsen (Virsen) Ganjhu, a zonal committee member with a ₹10 lakh reward.
- Security forces recovered three AK-47 rifles and 63 live cartridges from the site, and searches continue near the Bokaro–Giridih border area.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the action and said Maoism has been eliminated from Bokaro, reiterating the government’s pledge to end Naxalism nationwide by March 31, 2026.
- Accounts of security-force injuries differed, with some officials reporting two CoBRA personnel wounded but stable, while other reports said no troops were hurt; police highlighted Soren’s long wanted status and links to past high-profile attacks after a 2012 escape.