Security Forces, Maoists Exchange Fire In Odisha, Weapons Seized

Bolangir: An exchange of fire took place between the security forces and Maoists in Bender forest near Lathor in Bolangir district on Monday, informed police sources.

Acting on a tip-off, the security forces reportedly launched a combing operation in the area when the ultras opened fire after spotting the cops thereby prompting the jawans to retaliate with gunshots.

As per reports, a few guns were seized by the security forces from the spot.

Till the last report came in, a search operation was underway in the region by the security forces.

A Maoist was killed during an encounter with a combined team of Special Operations Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) in a forest near Nunkhari at Madakapada under Mudulipada police limits in Malkangiri district yesterday.

Sources said that some rebels of the Andhra-Odisha border division committee had set up a camp in the forest and planned to unleash fresh violence in the nearby areas.

Earlier on Sunday, the Maoists had kidnapped two civilians from Gumma village in Kandhamal district suspecting them to be police informers. Though the red rebels released one of them after beating him severely, the other villager’s whereabouts is yet to be ascertained.

A couple of days before, the extremists had killed two persons, accusing them of being police informers. A group of armed rebels reportedly went to Bhandarangi and Guchhaguda village in Tumudibandha block in the district late on Friday night and called the two persons including the son of the sarpanch out of their house.

Later on Saturday morning, their bodies were found in two separate places near the village.

The Maoists had left a handwritten note mentioning the duo’s names as police informers. The letter stated that the deceased had informed police about five of their colleagues who were killed in police firing at Sirki village under Belghar in the district last year.