Malkangiri: At least five Maoists, including two women, were gunned down in an exchange of fire with security personnel inside a forest in Malkangiri district Monday, a senior police official said.
The gun battle took place near Paplur area under the jurisdiction of the Kalimela police station when Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel were conducting a combing operation, Director General of Police (DGP), R P Sharma, said.
He said the five Maoists were killed in the encounter and the casualties could be more as search operation in the area was still in progress. No security personnel was injured in the operation.
The security personnel recovered two INSAS rifles, one SLR, one 303 rifle and a hand grenade from the spot, the DGP said. Additional Director General of Police (Operations) R P Koche said efforts were on to track other rebels who ran away.
“The encounter took place during a combing operation in the Bejingwada Forest near Kalimela early this morning after a group of ultras from Kalimela Dalam Division of Maoists led by Ranadev opened fire at two teams of Special Operation Group of Odisha Police,” Koche said.
The DGP informed that Monday’s operation was one of the best in recent times. He also said that the state police’s intelligence gathering in the cut-off areas of Malkangiri has strengthened of late.
He also said that the cache of arms and explosives seized from the hideout clearly pointed at plans of bigger attacks by the ultras.Speaking on the need for deployment of more Central armed security forces like BSF and CRPF, he said, “We have requested the Centre to send two more platoons of BSF for deployment in the Maoist- sensitive areas.”
He informed that Maoist influence in the state has shrunk. However, pockets in Angul and Boudh have seen some Maoist-related incidents.
Speaking on the joint operations by the Special Operation Group and the Greyhound of Andhra Police, he said, “The joint operations in the border areas have been continuing for the last several days. In such an exercise against the red ultras a Maoist was killed while many were inured around 20 days ago.” Recently, a team of SOG of Odisha Police was sent to Vishakhapatnam for joint operation.
While speaking on the issue of Maoist banners carrying death threats to three legislators of Kandhamal and Ganjam in Dadaralunda village in Ganjam, he said, “we are probing into the matter and trying to find out whether the banners were put up by Maoists or some other miscreants.”