MCC ambush: 9 jawans find way back to safety

According to the Kiriburi police station, two policemen and a civilian driver were yet to report to the police station. ‘‘The jeep was set on fire by the ultras,’’ sources said.

Jharkhand DGP R.R. Prasad has directed that operation in the forest areas be launched only during day time, police said. Meanwhile, additional CRPF forces from Palamau and Garwah have joined the forces engaged in the combing operation against MCC activists in Saranda forest. Jharkhand Police is also in constant touch with its counterparts in Orissa as the incident happened close to the border of the two states.

Police said search parties to locate jawans, if any, had been dispatched, adding two companies of the CRPF and one of Jharkhand Armed Police had also been deployed in the counter-offensive launched in the Saranda forest.

Chief Minister Babulal Marandi could not visit the ambush spot at as the pilot of his chopper could not find a proper space to land in the dense forest, official sources said here.

‘‘The Chief Minister left for the spot this morning but could not reach there as the pilot did not get a suitable space to land the chopper…So he left for Gujarat,’’ sources said.

Marandi, who visited Chaibasa yesterday, announced Rs ten lakh to families of the jawans killed and Rs one lakh to the next of kin of the civilians killed, sources said.

The Chief Minister reiterated that extremism would be wiped out. ‘‘The designs of the ultras will not be allowed to succeed. The extremists will not be allowed to hide in the Saranda forests…They will be driven out,’’ he said.

Ranchi police have decided to prepare profile of every village to curb extremism.