A jawan of Special Operation Group (SOG) was killed and six others were injured in a Maoist ambush near Khamankhol under Baliguda police station limits in Kandhamal district of Odisha at around midnight on Saturday.
According to Inspector General of Police (IGP), southern range, Amitabh Thakur, an exchange of fire for around one hour occurred at the spot between the SOG personnel and naxalites after this ambush. Security personnel fired more than 300 rounds and also lobbed grenades at the ultras.
“There are chances of casualties on the side of Maoists. So, reinforcement has been mobilized to the area to intensify search operation,” said Mr Thakur.
This group of SOG personnel were returning in four vehicles after completion of an anti-Maoist operation based on intelligence reports. The last vehicle in the motorcade was targeted at the jungle ghat road near Khamankhol. The hiding Maoists fired heavily at this vehicle carrying SOG jawans. It was valiantly retaliated by the SOG jawans.
During this exchange of fire, a SOG jawan named Laxmikant Jani from Kalahandi district was killed. Six others including driver of the targeted vehicle sustained injuries. They were first provided primary medical treatment at Baliguda hospital. Later, three of them were shifted to Kandhamal District Headquarter Hospital in Phulbani and other three seriously injured were transported to MKCG medical college and hospital in Berhampur.
