Naxal held after encounter in Jharkhand

An encounter took place between the security forces and the banned Naxalite outfit Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Saturday and one red rebel was arrested, the police said. Some arms and ammunition were also recovered after the encounter that broke out in the forests at Dakra village during an anti-Naxal operation, Superintendent of Police Prasant Anand said.

The Naxalites fired on the security personnel of Jharkhand Jaguar, an anti-Naxal force, and the Latehar district police personnel when they saw them in the forest. As the securitymen retaliated the fire, the red rebels were forced to retreat into the forest, the SP said.

During a search operation soon after the encounter, one TPC member was arrested. The security personnel recovered one Insas rifle, one semi-automatic rifle and one US-made automatic rifle, besides a large number of bullets from the encounter spot, the police officer said.

The TPC is engaged in extortion and threatening people over phone in the area and anti-naxal operation will be stepped up in the area, the SP said..