Jharkhand: CRPF's CoBRA unit has killed 20 top Maoists this year

NEW DELHI: CRPF ’s CoBRA battalion, which specialises in jungle warfare, has neutralised 20 hardcore Left-wing extremists in Jharkhand, including two central committee (CCM) members, along with the state police in the current year.

The two eliminated CCM members are Vivek Chandri Yadav alias Prayag, who was killed in an operation in Bokaro in April, and Sahdev Soren, killed with two of his aides on Monday.

Also neutralised over the past few months were two Bihar-Jharkhand special area committee members, four zonal committee members, two sub-zonal committee members, and three area committee members and several other notorious naxal cadres.

The CoBRA commandos have also apprehended three Naxals — including one sub-zonal committee member, one area committee member and 1 cadre — striking fear among the remaining ranks of the Naxals, said a CRPF official.

“The troops of 209 CoBRA have, in addition, recovered 32 sophisticated automatic weapons, 345 kgs of explosives, 88 detonators, 2,500 live ammunition, and large quantities of war-like stores,” the official added.

As many as 18 Naxal hideouts and 39 bunkers were busted by CoBRA teams in Jharkhand, which has had a crippling effect on CPI(Maoist)’s operational and organisational capabilities, a CRPF officer told TOI.

CRPF, in coordination with Jharkhand Police, has been instrumental in removing the last vestiges of Naxalism in Jharkhand; their joint operations had in 2022 eliminated Naxalites from Burhapahad area and Chakrabandha.