Arms, ammunition seized after encounter with Maoists

Security personnel recovered arms and ammunition following an encounter with a Maoist outfit in Naxal-affected West Singhbhum district on Sunday, a senior police officer said.

The shootout happened between the forces and the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) in Temna hills under the jurisdiction of Gudri police station.

A double barrel gun, 180 cartridges of AK-47 and 46 cartridges of a 12 bore gun, a laptop, two mobile phones, Rs 735 in cash and some other items were seized by the police after the encounter.

Superintendent of Police G Kranthi Kumar said acting on a tip-off that around 10 PLFI activists have assembled in the hills, a team of CRPF and police reached Temna village on Saturday night.

There they found that a number of people were taking part in a cultural programme.

Hence, the security personnel stopped the search operation and resumed it in the early hours on Sunday after the programme ended, he added.

When the PLFI activists noticed them, they started firing and security personnel retaliated. However, the Maoists managed to escape, the SP said.

The arms and ammunition were found during the subsequent search operation launched in the area.