Nuapada: Jawans of the Special Operations Group (SOG) seized Tuesday huge quantities of arms, ammunitions, other incriminating materials and Maoist literature while conducting searches near Sibanarayanpur village inside Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary under Komana police limits in this district, Nuapada SP Gundala Reddy Raghavendra stated in a press release.
Officials said that the search is continuing in various parts of Sunabeda forest. Among the items seized were 10 IEDs, cash amounting to rupees four lakh, five revolvers and bullets, a radio, two cordex wires, 30 batteries, a mobile charger, a manpack charger, five torches, eight knives, bows and arrows, screwdrivers, seven haversacks, nine plastic sheets, 17 rucksacks, a wire cutter, a solar panel, many dry food products, large quantities of medicines and books on Maoist literature.
Officials said that earlier in the day a shootout between the Maoists and SOG jawans took place close to Sibanarayanpur village. During the encounter, another team of SOG personnel conducted search operations in and around the area. They busted two Maoist hideouts from which the above-mentioned items were recovered. Raghavendra informed that the exchange of fire was on till late into the evening.
He added that combing operations have also been launched and along with the SOG forces, COBRA, CRPF and DVF personnel have also been pressed into service. The Nuapada SP added that during the shootout, one SOG jawan, identified as Prakash Sahi, suffered a bullet injury on his back and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Raipur.