Eight Maoists killed in West Bengal

LALGARH - Eight Maoist guerrillas, including three women, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in this Maoist stronghold of West Midnapore district, police said Wednesday.

The exchange of bullets began late Tuesday in the Ranjha forest, about 20 km from here, and was continuing, officials said.

Acting on a tip-off that armed rebels had set up base in the forest, central paramilitary troopers and the state police conducted a joint raid in the area, police superintendent Manoj Verma told IANS.

“There was a fierce exchange of bullets through the night. The encounter is still on,” Verma said.

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper said the bodies of eight rebels were spotted in the forest. Three of them were women.

“We will get the bodies this time. This will be a rare instance of the security forces getting bodies of Maoists killed in gunbattle. Normally, the rebels are very particular about decamping with the bodies of their comrades and then burying those away from the spot so that the forces cannot get hold of the corpses,” he said.

Security forces have also recovered an AK-47 rifle, two pistols, and explosive materials from the spot.

Joint security forces have been deployed in Lalgarh and other sensitive places of the district since June last year to flush out the rebels.

Apart from West Midnapore, Maoist guerrillas are active in Bankura and Purulia districts of West Bengal.