Maoist killed in exchange of fire with BSF in Malkangiri forests

BHUBANESWAR: A Maoist was gunned down on Friday morning during an exchange of fire between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Left Wing Extremists near a forest under Pepermetla Police limits in Malkangiri district.

After the gun battle, the security forces recovered a loaded SLR riffle, two magazines having 54 live rounds of 7.62 mm bullets. On further scouting the area, the BSF found an IED planted by the Maoists in the nearby forests.

Basing on intelligence inputs that Maoists had assembled at Bandhuguda forest, BSF launched a combing operation on the intervening night of December 14 and 15. When the Maoists spotted the security forces, they started firing to which the BSF retaliated.

BSF DIG, JC Nayak said the exchange of fire lasted for at least 30 minutes before the Maoists fled the spot. "The security forces conducted search in the area after firing by the insurgents stopped. We later recovered the body of a Maoist," he added.

Odisha DGP Dr RP Sharma tweeted about the incident saying an exchange of fire took place between BSF and CPI Maoist cadres near village Lukapani in cut off area of Malkangiri district in which a Maoist was killed.

While the BSF personnel defused the IED before returning to their camp in Badapada area, the body of the Maoist was shifted to Malkangiri for identification and further investigation into the matter.