Five Maoists of the Andhra-Odisha Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) are suspected to have been killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Malkangiri district of Odisha early on Monday.
However, police are yet to confirm the deaths. “Some people might have been killed. We are not very sure,” said Additional DGP Law and Order R.P. Thakur. He said that three police parties — two from AP and another one from Odisha — were involved in the encounter.
Police sources said the encounter lasted till late afternoon. They claimed that the bodies of the slain Maoists could have been washed away in the Balimela Reservoir.
The exchange of fire between the Odisha unit and Maoists took place when the latter were crossing a river. The combing and search operations would resume on Tuesday, said a senior police officer.
Based on some specific information that over 200 Maoists belonging to the AOB-SZC were camping at Malkangiri in the cut-off area between Andhra and Odisha, the security forces, a combination of the elite anti-naxal AP Greyhounds and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Odisha, led a joint operation.
The reported exchange of fire took place at three places - Bejingi, Gandherpadar and Kusumpadar – all close to the Balimela Reservoir.
A Greyhounds squad recovered five kit bags, one grenade and a bundle of over 200 newspapers from one of the camp sites, confirmed Visakhapatnam Superintendent of Police Koya Praveen.
According to the SP, the Maoists appear to be camping there from last week of November and have been holding plenary sessions till December 22. “They were on the retreat mode when we moved into the camp sites on Monday,” said the SP.
RK may have been present
It is learnt that Central Committee Member of the Maoist and in-charge of AOB-SZC, Ramakrishna alias RK was present at the camp. But, the security forces were a tad late.
According to a senior police officer engaged in the operation, the forces had specific information of RK’s presence.
The officer also informed The Hindu that whenever such a plenary session was held and senior leaders such as RK were present; the Maoists spread a five-tier security ring spanning a radius of about 5 KM.
“It is a Herculean task to breach the security rings before reaching the core camp area and by the time we reach it, the leaders give us the slip under the cover of fire,” he said.
