West Midnapore:
Across West Bengal and Jharkhand, where Maoist control large areas, a major counter offensive is going on for the last 24 hours.
For the first time in many months there is proof of casualties suffered by the Maoists, but the specific intelligence driven operations in both states seem to have achieved much more.
- Sindu Soren, a key founder member of the People Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA), and also a Local Jan Militia Commander was shot dead in West Midnapore
- In all, eight Maoists have been killed. Six in Bengal and two in Jharkhand
- Maoists arrested recently have provided pin-pointed intelligence
"Last night we had received some information that there was a five hour encounter. Six Maoists had been killed, our one officer is injured, we have got some information that big Maoist leader Sidhu Soren has been killed in this encounter...it's a great success for us," said Bhupinder Singh, Director General of Police, West Bengal.
In addition to a dozen-odd automatic weapons and 500 rounds of ammunition, the CRPF also recovered at least 14 big boxes of crackers, giving a glimpse of the Maoist field craft and their nimbleness. Bursting crackers divert incoming forces and also alert the Maoist military squads inside the forest.
In Jharkhand, a Maoist camp was destroyed but this success in two operations came at a cost. Ashish Kumar Tewari of the Special Armed Force was shot dead by the Maoists in the West Bengal operations.