MALKANGIRI: A Day after five Maoists were killed in exchange of fire with security forces in Malkangiri, DGP Dr RP Sharma on Tuesday said anti-Maoist operation in Malkangiri will be intensified to take on the outlawed CPI (Maoist).
The DGP, who visited Malkangiri on Tuesday, said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik have lauded the security forces for a successful operation, which resulted in the killing of five Maoists including two women in an exchange of fire in Alurkota-Sanyasiguda forest under Kalimela police limits.
He said more BSF camps would come up at different locations of the district to fight Maoists. Stating that the security scenario in Swabhimaan Anchal, erstwhile cut-off region, is improving after opening of the Gurupriya bridge, the DGP said after Jantapai that got a permanent BSF camp this year, another camp will be opened in Jodambo. Jantapai had been a strategic Maoist base from where they operated for three years.
On the Monday morning operation, Sharma said it was one of the best executed combat operation by Odisha Police as it did not cause any harm to either any civilian or security personnel.
“Security and development should go hand-in-hand to curb Maoist menace in the district,” the top cop said, while refuting allegations that two of the five Maoists were innocent villagers. He said all the five were in Maoist uniform and arms were found in their possession.
Earlier in the day, the DGP along with IG (Intelligence) RK Sharma, ADG (Operation) RP Koche, SOG Commandant Anirudha Singh held a marathon meeting with SP Jagmohan Meena. They decided to put necessary security arrangements in place in after the encounter.
On Sunday night, acting on intelligence reports of presence of 15 to 20 Maoists in a camp, teams of Special Operation Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) reached Bejangiwada Reserve Forest area. As they were about to reach the camp in the pre-dawn hours, the Maoists fired indiscriminately at the SOG jawans who retaliated. After four hours of exchange of fire, the rebels retreated. Later, the security personnel launched a cordon and search operation and recovered five bodies from the encounter spot, he added. While identity of three slain Maoists was established on Monday, two others were on Tuesday identified as Padlam Hantal and Ghenu Hantal of Sindurapalli under Kalimela police limits. Both of them were Maoist militia members, police said.