Bhubaneswar: Five Maoist cadres, including three women, were gunned down by the security forces during a fierce encounter in a forest in Odisha’s southern Koraput district on Tuesday.
The encounter that involved exchange of several rounds of fire between the security forces and extremists took place when the former was carrying out a combing operation in the forest following a tip-off that the rebels were assembling there with plans to conduct some violent activities in the region.
Odisha’s Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) in charge of the operations, RP Koche, confirmed the encounter and the death of the five rebels.
The security forces have also recovered arms and ammunition, including three guns, used by the Maoists from the encounter site, he said.
Koraput Superintendent of Police (SP) Kanwar Vishal Singh said the encounter took place in a forest under Padua police station when personnel of the Special Operations Group (SOG) and the District Voluntary Force (DVF) were conducting a combing operation in the area.
“The rebels fired at the security forces when the latter surrounded them from all sides. The security forces retaliated and, in the process, five extremists were killed on the spot. There has been no injury to any security personnel in the incident,” the SP said.
The encounter site was close to the border with Andhra Pradesh, said police sources in Koraput.
The Maoists are believed to have infiltrated into Odisha from the neighbouring state in the past week, a source said.
More details on the encounter are awaited. The identity of the Maoists killed in the encounter is yet to be ascertained.
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