Firearms recovered in Jharkhand jungle

Security personnel have recovered 16 firearms, including two that were looted from the police, in Jharkhand's Latehar district, police said.

A search operation was launched on Sunday and the firearms were found hidden in the bushes of the Budi Sakhua jungle in Balumath, a senior police officer said here at a press conference.

The firearms belonged to ultra outfit Trutiya Prastuti Committee leaders Akraman and Gulshan, who planned to transport it to somewhere else. Of the recovered arms, two were 303 regular rifles, looted from police in the past, one was of 315 bore, while 13 were 9-mm rifles, said Palamu district Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Vipul Shukla.

The DIG said Latehar Superintendent of Police Prasant Anand had constituted a team to recover the arms after a tip-off.

In fact, one complete squad of the ultra outfit suffered a major setback following the recovery, the DIG claimed, adding that the police intensified its operations against rebel groups active in the district.

The officer added that the policemen involved in the operation would be rewarded.