Bhubaneswar: A Maoist hideout at the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border was busted following a gunfight with the security forces, police said on Saturday. However, over 60 Maoists including some female cadres could manage to flee the camp at Patdhara Reserve Forest in Boden police station area of Nuapada district, they said.
Acting on a tip-off about the presence of Maoists, the District Voluntary Force (DVF), Special Operation Group (SOG) and CRPF raided the area on Thursday, they said. "Around 10:10 am on Friday, 60-80 Maoists opened fire, targetting the forces," a police officer said. Among the Maoists present there were Murli alias Sangram Reddy, Debji, Jayaram alias Chhalpati and Kartik alias Dashru, he said. The force stuck back, but the Maoists could flee into the forest after a gunfight that lasted for an hour, he said.
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"The combing operations are still going on," the officer said on Saturday afternoon. No security personnel was injured in the gunfight, and it was not immediately known if any Maoists were injured, he said. The forces found packets of condoms, contraceptive pills and pregnancy test kits at the camp, he said. Besides, an air gun, five batteries, a wireless set, four radios, a power bank and a bluetooth speaker were among those recovered, the officer said. (PTI)
