Gumla, Feb 11 : In a major breakthrough for the security forces combating left-wing extremism in Jharkhand, police arrested five Maoists and seized a massive cache of arms and ammunition in the state’s Gumla District on Saturday.

Acting on credible leads, police apprehended and arrested the dreaded ultras in separate operations from across Gumla.

One of the nabbed Maoists, Durjan Singh, is wanted in a string of murder cases. Singh’s arrest marks a major success for the anti-insurgency operations being conducted across Maoist-dominated regions.

Addressing a news conference, Gumla Superintendent of Police Jatin Narwal disclosed details about the crackdown.

“We have arrested Durjan Singh, who is an agent of the banned outfit P. L. F. I (Peoples’ Liberation Front of India) and was dreaded in several areas. In another incident, we have also taken into custody two criminals who had come here to kill a witness. We have also seized arms from them. We arrested them after they fired at us following a chase,” Narwal told mediapersons.

The Maoist insurgency has gripped nearly a third of the country in its violent tentacles, spreading into the interiors of 20 of India’s 28 states. (ANI)