Kandhamal (Odisha): A day after at least four Maoists were gunned down, another Maoist was killed during an exchange of fire with security forces in Odisha's Kandhamal district, police said on Tuesday.
The encounter took place in Sirla forest under Tumudibandha police limits on Monday evening.
Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the District Voluntary Force (DVF) and Special Operations Group (SOG) carried out a search operation on Monday evening.
Kandhamal encounter
"On Monday at 6.30 p.m., Maoists opened fire from an advantageous position and lobbed grenades at SOG and DVF jawans. Police party immediately took cover and asked Maoists to stop firing and surrender. Some police personnel sustained injuries," said, Kandhamal SP, Prateek Singh during a presser.
Efforts are on to identify the dead, suspected to be a member of the Bansadhara-Nagavali-Ghumusar (BNG) division of the banned CPI (Maoist). The combing operation has been intensified by the security forces in the area after the encounter as part of efforts to track the fleeing Maoists.
"While one of them was a state committee member of BNG division, having a bounty of Rs 20 lakh, two others including a woman carried Rs 4 lakh rewards each. Another slain woman is yet to be identified. Last week, a Maoist camp was busted and explosives were seized by security forces in Phiringia area of Kandhamal," Singh said.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spoke to Singh over the telephone and appreciated his efforts and his team in containing Maoist activities in the district. Patnaik assured him all support in this regard, an official of the chief minister's Office said.
"During the post-operation search, the body of an armed Maoist along with a kitbag was found. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was seized from the area," Singh added.
Four Maoists were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the same forest on Sunday.
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