Ultra killed in encounter with police

Jamshedpur, Feb 16 (UNI) Close on the heels of killing of seven naxalites in the Maoist-dominated Dumaria, a hardcore ultra was killed in an encounter with police at Kharia in the same area under Ghatshila subdivision today.

Police said the rebel, identified as Manoj Mahto, suspected to be an ''Area Commander'' of the banned CPI (Maoist), was killed during the combing operation, launched by the East Singhbhum district police, since the killing of seven ultras in a joint operation by police and the members of Nagarik Suraksha Samity (NSS) on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, a police team, led by Superintendent of Police Naveen Kumar Singh, rushed to Dumaria yesterday night following the report of an attack on Janigoda, the native village of NSS leader Dhanai Kisku, by a large number of armed naxalites.

But when the police team reached the area, it found that the rebels fled from the scene, police said.

However, tension was prevailing in the area following the killings of ultras and the villagers did not rule out retaliation by the rebels at any time.

Gauging the situation, police had posted pickets in the area and intensified operation in the hilly region of Jharkhand-Orissa border to flush out the rebels.

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