3 Maoists killed in encounter in Odisha’s Malkangiri

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Malkangiri, Sep 19:

Three Maoists, including a cadre, were killed in an encounter with District Voluntary Force (DVF) in Malkangiri district of Odisha today.

“Acting on a tip-off, a team of Special Operation Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) launched a combing operation in Bhejaguda forest in Mathili area of Malkangiri where they came face to face with the Maoists. They were killed after a heavy exchange of fire between the groups. Combing and patrolling has been intensified in the area after the incident,” said Malkangiri SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra.

Their bodies have been sent for post-mortem, police said.

As per sources, the cadre Maoist has been identified as Sunadhara and the other two as his bodyguards. Sunadhara worked as the area committee member of Darbha Maoist division.

He is allegedly involvement is many cases of murder and extortion in the area and adjoining Darbha region in Chhattisgarh. Odisha government had declared a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on his head.

While several other ultras managed to flee the spot, a large cache of weapons, propaganda and other material have been seized by the cops from the spot including a pistol, sharp weapons, walkie talkie sets, uniforms and Maoist literature, sources in the police said.

It may be noted that Maoists continue to lose strength in the south Odisha district with hundreds of supporters surrendering before the police every week. In the past month itself, close to a thousand supporters, including dozens of militia members, have surrendered. The Maoists in retaliation have called for a Malkangiri Bandh on September 25.