3 Maoists killed in encounter with Odisha intelligence personnel in Kalahandi
The Odisha state intelligence wing personnel immediately acted upon the inputs as getting Special Operation Group commandoes from Bhawanipatna town to launch the operation would have taken time
At least three Maoists, including a senior cadre, were killed while a deputy superintendent of police (DSP)-rank officer sustained injuries in an encounter with security personnel of the state intelligence wing (SIW) in Odisha’s Kalahandi district in the wee hours of Tuesday.
Additional director general of police (anti-Maoist operations) Amitabh Thakur said while gathering information about Maoists, the SIW team got inputs about the presence of a Maoist camp in Taperenga-Ludengad forest under Madanpur Rampur police station area of Kalahandi bordering Kandhamal district.
“As getting Special Operation Group commandoes from Bhawanipatna town to launch the operation would have taken a lot of time, the SIW personnel immediately acted upon the intel inputs in Taperenga-Ludengad forest. When the SIW personnel reached the area, they came under fire from the Maoists. When they retaliated, at least 3 Maoists were killed. One of our DSP received bullet injuries on his leg and he was admitted to a hospital in Bolangir town and now being brought to Bhubaneswar,” said Thakur.
The ADG (ops) said an AK-47 rifle was recovered from the encounter spot which indicates that one of the deceased Maoists was either a member of the divisional committee or the state committee.
Tuesday’s operation is among the few undertaken by SIW officials, who are primarily engaged in collecting intelligence about Maoist movements.It assumes significance in the backdrop of the recent naxal attack in Chhattisgarh in which 10 District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel and a civilian driver were killed on April 26.
