Four Maoists killed during encounter with security forces in Odisha’s Kandhamal

Odisha Police said the security forces also recovered four automatic guns from the spot apart from ammunition.
For representational purposes  ( Photo | AFP)
For representational purposes ( Photo | AFP)

BHUBANESWAR: Four suspected Left wing extremists, including two women, were killed in an exchange of fire with the security forces in a forested region of Kandhamal district on Sunday morning.

A joint team of Special Operation Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF), which carried out the operation at Sirla forest area within Tumudibandha police limits, recovered bodies of the four Maoists. They are stated to be members of Bansadhara- Ghumusar-Nagavali (BGN) division.

Later, a cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the area where the Maoist group had set up a camp.

In the wee hours of Sunday, the security forces spotted the group of Maoists and asked them to surrender but the ultras responded by opening fire and lobbying grenades at them. Some police personnel reportedly suffered injuries in the firing by the Naxals.

“There was an exchange of fire between Maoists and SOG, DVF at Tumudibandha. Security forces were fired upon and they fired back in self-defence,” said DGP Abhay. Police said the identity of the Maoists killed in the encounter is being verified.

Arms and ammunition recovered after four Maoists were gunned down during
an exchange of fire with security forces in a dense forest, in Kandhamal | PTI

They are suspecting that there were about 35 to 40 ultras in the area during the incident. During the subsequent search, the security forces recovered three self-loading rifles (SLR), one INSAS rifle, two country made weapons, 16 rounds of SLR, two 5.56 mm rounds of INSAS and four single shot rounds.

Besides this, eight haversacks, four radio sets, one 12-volt battery, one 6-volt battery, one walkie-talkie and charger, huge amount of medicines, one diabetes testing kit, an electronic equipment set, Maoist literature and other articles from the spot. The DGP who issued an appeal to all Maoists operating in Odisha to surrender and join national mainstream said the State Government has a very generous surrender and rehabilitation policy for them. Combing operation has been intensified in the area and a search operation has been launched to trace the other Maoists, said a police officer. The operation comes after SOG busted a Maoist camp at Ladapadar reserve forest area in Kandhamal district on June 29.

About 15 kg explosives, including gunpowder and urea, along with 28 detonators were seized from three dumps in the area. In February, DGP Abhay had reviewed the strategy for tackling Maoist menace in Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Rayagada districts. He had stressed the need for forming a joint operation strategy in the three districts, which are the corridor of Maoists.

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