3 Maoists gunned down in Odisha’s Malkangiri district

Acting on intelligence inputs, a joint team of the special operation group and Malkangiri district voluntary force had launched a combing operation in the area

A felled tree with a Maoist poster blocking Berhampur-Rayagada Road at Raipanka village in Odisha’s Gajapatia district. File photo

Three members of the banned CPI (Maoists), including a woman, were reportedly killed in an exchange of fire with the security forces of Odisha near Tulasipahad area in Odisha, in the AOB region, on Tuesday morning.

The EoF reportedly took place in the Tulasi Reserve Forest close to the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. There was heavy exchanges of fire between the combined security forces comprising SOG (Special Operations Group) and DVF (District Voluntary Force) and the Maoists, in three to four places in the same area, that lasted over an hour.

As per the IG (Operations) Amitabh Thakur, going by the heavy firing it is estimated that the Maoist strength could be between 15 to 20 members.

Though the identity of the Maoists killed are still to be established, it is learnt that the group was being led by senior Maoist leader Suresh. It is also learnt that the Maoist had triggered a landmine. Till the last reports had come in, it is learnt that there was no casualty on the security forces side.