RANCHI, April 17 -- In a joint operation by the 209 CoBRA battalion and Jharkhand Police, a high-level Maoist squad was eliminated in the Hazaribag-Chatra border region on Friday, officials said.

The encounter, part of the broader "Operation KotiNeer," resulted in the killing of four top Maoist leaders. Officials added that this marks what security experts describe as the "final chapter" of the Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in the state.

IG (CRPF) Saket Kumar Singh, IG (STF) Anoop Birtharay and IG (operation) Michaelraj S said regarding the breakthrough during a joint press conference at the police headquarters.

"Acting on intelligence inputs regarding Jharkhand CPI (Maoist) member Shahdev Mahto (Regional Committee Member) and three other ...