Bokaro: Two Maoists were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in the dense forests of Birhordera under the Gomia police station limits in Jharkhand's Bokaro district early Wednesday morning, police officials said. 

A jawan of the CRPF’s elite CoBRA-209 battalion also died in the exchange of fire, they added.

The operation was launched following intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists in the area.

Around 6 a.m., as security personnel combed the forest, they came under heavy fire from the extremists. In the retaliatory action, two Maoists were killed. One of them was dressed in a uniform, while the other was in civilian clothing. An AK-47 rifle was recovered from the site of the encounter, police said.

Security forces retrieved the bodies of the slain Maoists, whose identities are yet to be ascertained.

During the exchange of fire, a CoBRA jawan sustained critical injuries. Despite efforts to evacuate him for advanced medical care, he succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital.

The operation is still underway as police continue to comb the area for other Maoists who may be hiding in the dense forest.

Jharkhand Police, under its intensified anti-Naxal drive, has set a target to make the state free from Maoist influence by the end of this year.

According to official figures, 16 Maoists have been killed and about 10 have surrendered so far this year alone.

In comparison, last year, 244 Maoists were arrested, nine were killed in encounters, and 24 surrendered, including several senior cadres -- four zonal commanders, one sub-general commander, and three area commanders.

Authorities believe that the sustained operations and increasing number of surrenders reflect growing pressure on Maoist groups in the region.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier said that the country will be free from the Maoist menace by March 2026. (IANS)