Jharkhand: Encounter breaks out between Naxals and security forces in the Saranda forest area

Jan 22, 2026

Chaibasa (Jharkhand) [India], January 22 : An encounter has been reported in the area of Saranda Forests of Chaibasa between Naxals and security forces. The operation is underway in the area, according to Jharkhand police. Earlier on Jan 17-18, six Naxals were killed in an encounter in Bijapur district under Bastar range, as per the official inputs.
Following the encounter, the police said six Naxals were recovered, two AK-47 rifles, one NASA rifle, two .303 rifles and a BGL launcher were recovered. In an earlier statement, Dy Cm said that four Naxals have been killed, one of whom is a big name, Dilip Bedja, who has been active in the national park area for a long time.
Recently, on 20 January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing BJP party workers at the BJP national headquarters, raised a concern over the increasing influence of urban Naxalism.
PM Modi said, ' Another major challenge is urban naxal. The scope of urban naxal is becoming international. If they tweet something positive about Modi even once or twice a year, or say something positive on TV, or write something positive in a newspaper, some journalist humiliates them so much that they are hounded and become untouchable. They are silenced so they can never speak again. This is the method of Urban Naxalism. He alos stated that infiltrators pose a very serious threat to the country, identifying them and sending them back to their countries is extremely important."
Earlier the Prime Minister also warned about the infiltrators across the country by saying," We must continue to face every challenge with our full strength. Today, a very significant challenge before the country is that of infiltrators. No one in the world accepts the infiltrators in their country, and India too cannot allow infiltrators to rob its poor and youth of their rights."