Maoist attack victims' bodies fished

Rescue teams fished out the body of one more personnel of the elite police force Greyhounds killed in an ambush by Maoists in Orissa on June 29, police said on Saturday.

With this, all the bodies of the 38 personnel killed in the attack have been taken out of the Balimela reservoir in Malkangiri district near the Andhra Pradesh border.

"Till yesterday (Friday), we had recovered 37 dead bodies. Today, the search team found another body," District Superintendent of Police Satish Gajbhiye told IANS.

The boat that was attacked last month was carrying 66 Greyhounds personnel who were returning to Andhra Pradesh after taking part in a joint anti-Maoist operation with Orissa police. The police said 28 people swam ashore.

The Maoists ambushed the boat from the surrounding hillocks as it was crossing Balimela reservoir, 700 km from here and about 220 km from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

It was the worst-ever Maoist attack on the Greyhounds force, which was raised by Andhra Pradesh Police in 1989 to tackle the extremist problem.

Navy divers and search teams on Tuesday hauled the boat out, two days after it was lifted off the reservoir bed with the help of three imported balloons. The boat, which was brought near the shore on Monday, was pulled out using heavy iron ropes and machines of some private companies.