A Maoist operative was killed in an encounter with security forces in a forest area in Odisha’s Kalahandi district on Thursday, the police said.
The encounter took place when personnel of the Special Operation Group (SOG) and the police on a combing mission came across a group of Maoists in a forest in the Bijepur area, Kalahandi superintendent of police Brijesh Rai said.
While the body of the woman Maoist was found after the gun-battle, the other members of the group fled the scene, he said, adding that four weapons -- an INSAS rifle, one SLR and two rifles -- were recovered from the site.
The ultra belonged to Vansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagavali division of the outlawed CPI(Maoist).
Search operation was conducted inside the forest in a bid to trace the fleeing rebels and to ascertain whether they had suffered more casualty, Rai said.
A clear picture about the outcome of the encounter would be available after the search operation in the forest was complete, the police said.