BARGARH: Security forces destroyed a Maoist camp after an exchange of fire with the rebels on Gandhamardhan hill near Khandijharan village within Paikmal police limits here on Friday.
Bargarh SP Prahalad Sahai Meena said basing on the intel about presence of Maoists on Gandhamardan hill, an anti-Naxal operation was launched by a joint team of the Special Operations Group (SOG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Wednesday.
“While combing operation was underway, an exchange of fire took place between the security forces and the Maoists at around 8.30 am on Friday. Following the gun battle, our team searched the area and seized a number of Maoist articles.”
Meena informed that the entire Naxal camp was destroyed in the operation but there were no casualties. During search, the security forces recovered improvised explosive devices (IED), eight bags, clothes, food and other Maoist articles.
Following the operation, IG (Northern Range) Himanshu Lal reached Bargarh to take stock of the situation. Combing operation is continuing in the area. It is being monitored by Lal and Meena, said police sources. The anti-Naxal operation was launched under the supervision of DGP in-charge Arun Sarangi and ADG (Operations) Dev Datta Singh.
Earlier in November 2022, two women Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces at Gandhamardan hills just days before the bypoll to Padampur Assembly constituency.
In August 2020, an exchange of fire had taken place between security forces and Maoists in the Gandhamardhan reserve forest. Though the red rebels managed to escape, four Maoist camps were busted during subsequent combing operations.
Sources said the Balangir, Bargarh and Mahasamund (BBM) division of the banned CPI (Maoist) is operating along Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. Police are keeping a close vigil in all the Maoist-hit districts of the state in view of the upcoming general elections.