3 Maoists killed, 1 CRPF official injured in encounter in Odisha’s Kalahandi

Kalahandi: At least three Maoists were killed and one CRPF official was injured in an encounter inside a forest here in the district today.

The gun battle took place in wee hours at Tapranga Reserved Forest under Madanpur Rampur police limits in Kalahandi district. While three Maoists were neutralized during the encounter, one CRPF official sustained bullet injuries in exchange of fire.

The injured official was immediately rushed to Madanpur Rampur hospital, from where he was shifted to the Bhima Bhoi Hospital in Balangir district for treatment.

Briefing media persons here, DGP Sunil Bansal said, “An exchange of fire was reported from M. Rampur police station area. We have recovered dead bodies of three Maoists. From the seizure of one AK-47 shows that they might be senior Maoist cadres.”

One police official has also sustained bullet injury in the exchange of fire, but he is out of danger, Bansal said, adding, “We are evacuating him to Bhubaneswar for better treatment.”

Further search operations are going on in the area. The DGP once again appealed to the Naxals to shun violence activities and join the mainstream of society.

The security forces intensified combing operation in the district after a brutal Maoist attack on security forces last month. Total 10 DRG Jawans and one civilian driver lost their lives in an IED attack allegedly carried out by Maoists on April 26 in south Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district while they were returning in a van from an operation against red rebels.

[With agency input]