Overview

• Security forces launched an intelligence-led combing mission in the dense Abujhmarh forest on July 18, part of a nationwide drive to eliminate Maoist insurgents by March 2026.
• Troops recovered a cache of high-powered weapons including AK-47 and SLR rifles, multiple grenade launchers, explosive materials and daily-use items alongside six bodies of suspected insurgents.
• Intermittent exchanges of fire continue as reinforcements secure the perimeter to prevent escape or regrouping of remaining insurgents.
• Police have identified the slain fighters as members of PLGA’s platoon 1, including divisional committee commander Rahul Punem and four female cadre carrying a combined Rs 48 lakh bounty.
• Simultaneous sweeps in Jharkhand’s forest areas recovered 14 improvised explosive devices and additional munitions, underscoring coordinated counter-insurgency efforts across state borders.