Palamu, May 27: In a major success for the security forces for the second consecutive day in the ongoing anti-Maoist operations in Jharkhand, top Maoist commander Tulsi Bhuiyan was gunned down in the Palamu district, officials said on Tuesday.

The fierce encounter that began on Monday night in the Hussainabad subdivision of the district continued on Tuesday.

An SLR rifle was recovered from the encounter site. The gunfight continued into Tuesday morning, and unconfirmed reports suggest that several other Maoists may have been injured or killed.

Security personnel have launched a massive search operation across the area.

Senior officials, including Palamu Superintendent of Police (SP) Rishma Rameshan and top CRPF officers, are present at the spot.

According to an official, the operation was launched based on intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoist commander Nitesh -- who carries a reward of Rs 15 lakh -- and his squad in Sitachuan, a forested area on the border of Mohammadganj and Haidernagar police station limits.

Sanjay Godram, another Maoist with a bounty of Rs 10 lakh, is also believed to be part of this group.

As police and security forces closed in on the location, Maoists opened fire, prompting the forces to retaliate.

This encounter comes a day after a similar operation in Netarhat police station area of neighbouring Latehar district, where Maoist commander Manish Yadav, who carried a Rs 5 lakh reward, was killed.

Another Maoist, Kundan Kharwar, with a bounty of Rs 10 lakh, was arrested during the same operation.

On May 24, in an encounter in Ichwar forest of Latehar, Maoists Pappu Lohara (Rs 10 lakh reward) and Prabhat Lohara (Rs 5 lakh reward) were killed, and another injured Maoist was arrested.

Earlier, on April 21, eight Maoists, including commander Prayag Manjhi -- who carried a reward of Rs 1 crore -- were killed in a major operation by security forces in the Lugu Hill area of Lalpania in Bokaro district of Jharkhand.

(IANS)

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