Cuttack/Kandhamal (OT Webdesk): In a significant blow to Maoist operations in Odisha, two hardcore Maoists were gunned down in an intense gunbattle with District Voluntary Force (DVF) personnel in the Baliguda forest region of Kandhamal district on Monday.
Acting on intelligence inputs about the presence of armed extremists in the Puranjiaab Reserved Forest under Baliguda Police Station limits, Kandhamal Superintendent of Police Harish BC directed a swift counter-insurgency operation. DVF commandos launched a combing operation early in the morning which culminated in an armed exchange near noon.
The two deceased Maoists, initially identified as Mangu (ACM cadre) and Chandan (party member), were active operatives in a Maoist group in Kandhamal. During the exchange of fire, both rebels were shot dead, and police recovered a rifle, a revolver, live ammunition, wireless sets, batteries, and other Maoist materials from the encounter site.
Police sources confirm that the search operations in the region are ongoing, as security personnel comb through the dense forest to uncover any remaining threats. The slain Maoists were believed to have been involved in past violent activities, and their elimination is seen as a significant step toward curbing extremist influence in the region.
Odisha Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania congratulated SP Harish BC and the DVF team for executing the operation with precision and courage.
