Latehar (Jharkhand) (PTI): Two Maoists, including JJMP supremo Pappu Lohra, who was carrying a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Saturday morning, police said.
Lohra, the chief of the Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP), a Maoist splinter group, and his associate were killed during an anti-Naxal operation, conducted jointly by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Jharkhand Police, in a forest under the Latehar Police Station limits, a senior officer said.
"Two Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces. The police have recovered their bodies," Palamu DIG YS Ramesh told PTI.
Acting on a tip-off that Lohra and his associates were in the forest, a team of security personnel led by Latehar Superintendent of Police (SP) Kumar Gaurav launched a search operation, he said.
"As the Maoists spotted the security personnel, they fired targeting them and the team retaliated. Lohra and another JJMP member, identified as Prabhat Ganjhu, were killed in the gunfight," the police said.
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Addis Ababa (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday on the second leg of his three-nation tour, aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries.
Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali received PM Modi at the Addis Ababa International Airport. In a unique gesture, he also drove Modi to the hotel.
On the way, he took a special initiative of taking PM Modi to the Science Museum and Friendship Park, which was not in the itinerary.
PM Ali informed his Indian counterpart about the varieties of Ethiopian coffee during informal talks.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Ethiopian PM’s special gestures show remarkable respect for Modi, sources said.
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"Celebrating age-old India-Ethiopia ties! Prime Minister @narendramodi arrives in Addis Ababa on his maiden bilateral visit to Ethiopia. In a special gesture, PM @AbiyAhmedAli came to personally receive him at the airport. Prime Minister was accorded a warm and colourful welcome," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on social media.
"Ethiopia is a key partner for India in the Global South and a fellow BRICS Member," he added.
Modi will be holding wide-ranging discussions with his counterpart on all aspects of India–Ethiopia bilateral ties.
“As partners in the Global South, the visit will be a reiteration of the shared commitment of the two nations to advance close ties of friendship and bilateral cooperation,” a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said before his departure from India.
In his first visit to Ethiopia, Modi will address the Joint Session of Parliament and share his thoughts on India's journey as the "Mother of Democracy" and the value that the India-Ethiopia partnership can bring to the Global South.
He will also meet the Indian diaspora during the two-day visit.
Addis Ababa is also the headquarters of the African Union.
In 2023, during India’s G20 Presidency, the African Union was admitted as a permanent member of the G20.
PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia from Jordan, where he held a one-on-one meeting with King Abdullah II at the Husseiniya Palace on Monday before the delegation-level talks.
India and Jordan also inked MoUs in the fields of culture, renewable energy, water management, digital public infrastructure and twinning arrangement between Petra and Ellora, aimed at giving a major boost to bilateral ties and friendship.
From Ethiopia, Modi will visit Oman on the final leg of this three-nation tour.
