Bhubaneswar:
At least two Maoists, including a woman, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Odisha‘s Kandhamal district on Thursday, a top police officer said. The encounter took place in a forested area near Tumudibandha, when the Left-Wing Extremists opened fire at the personnel of the elite Special Operation Group (SOG) and the district voluntary force (DVF) of Odisha Police during a combing operation in the district, he said.
“LW extremists opened fire on SOG and DVF of Odisha police in Kandhamal District today evening. SOG n DVF returned the fire. From the spot 2 dead bodies (1 male and 1 female in uniform) 1 INSAS, 1 carbine and 2 country made weapons recovered. Our personnel are safe (sic),” Director General of Police (DGP) Abhay said on Twitter. At a press conference later in the day, the DGP appealed to Maoists to shun arms and return to the mainstream with the help of the state government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy.
As the combing operation is underway, further details are awaited, another senior police officer said. On July 5, four Maoists were gunned down during an exchange of fire with security forces in a dense forest in the district.
Meanwhile, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, in a letter to the state’s chief secretary and the DGP, complimented the Odisha Police and its team for the July 5 operation. “He has applauded Odisha Police for conducting operations in a professional manner without any casualty,” an official release said.
