Three Maoists, including two women cadres, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Tulasi forest range in Odisha’s Malkangiri district, people aware of the development said on Tuesday.
Police said a search operation by a joint team of the special operation group and Malkangiri district voluntary force was being carried out on the basis of intelligence inputs. During the combing operation, a small group of Maoists fired on the security personnel resulting in a gunfight.
“We have recovered three bodies of Maoists including two women after the firing stopped. The dead are yet to be identified by the surrendered Maoists,” Amitabh Thakur, Odisha’s Inspector General of Police (Operations) said, adding that the firearms recovered from the Maoists indicates that there were senior cadres. An Insas rifle and a self-loading rifle was found at the encounter site.
Officials said combing operations were launched soon after in forests of Odisha’s Malkangiri and adjoining Bastar region in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
Odisha DGP Abhay said the combing operation is still underway as close to 30-40 Maoists are suspected to be present in the area, news agency PTI said.
“Security forces from Bastar and Malkangiri are conducting further search operations to apprehend the cadres who fled after the encounter site,” said Sunderaj P, Inspector General of Police, Bastar range in Chhattisgarh.
In 2020, 16 members of the banned CPI (Maoist) were killed in gun-battles with security forces in Odisha. Seven civilians and two policemen had also lost their lives in Maoist violence last year.
