Maoist killed in police firing, 2 injured

Bhubaneswar: A Maoist was reportedly killed and two others were seriously injured in a fierce gun battle between security forces and Red rebels at Niyamgiri forest near Dengamati village on Kalahandi-Rayagada border early this morning.

On a tip off about the presence of the rebels, security personnel, led by Rayagada Superintendent of police (SP) K Siba Subramani,launched the operation in the wee hours of Saturday.

The exchange of fire continued for a more than two hours in which one Maoist was killed on the spot, reports said. Two armed Maoists are suspected to have been injured in the gun battle, they added.

Two 9 MM pistol, a gun and a huge cache of explosives have been seized during the operation. The combing operation has been intensified in the area, sources said.

Notably, the rebels had carried out a landmine explosion at the same area last month targeting the security forces. However, no casualty was reported in the explosion.

In a separate incident, the Maoists killed a man by slitting throat at Panasput village near the cut-off areas of Chitrakonda in Malkangiri district on Friday night.

Eight to ten armed rebels dragged Biswanath Khila out of his home last night and slit his throat branding him to be the police informer.