MALKANGIRI: At least one Maoist was killed and a District Voluntary Forces (DVF) jawan injured in a fierce gunbattle in Jinelguda forest bordering Chhattisgarh under MV-79 police limits in Malkangiri district in the wee hours of Thursday.
Acting on intelligence input about the influx of a group of Maoists to the Jinelguda forest from Chhattisgarh, an operation was launched by Special Operation Group (SOG) jawans and DVF in the Jinelguda forest area in the pre-dawn hours.
Seeing the security forces, the Maoists fired at the police indiscriminately to which they later retaliated. One Maoist was killed in the exchange of fire.
While the deceased Maoist cadre is yet to be identified, the injured DVF Jawan has been identified as Dambarudhar Badnayak. The jawan has been rushed to Malkangiri District Headquarters Hospital.
Additional SP Tapan Narayan Rath said the injured DVF Jawan has received bullet injuries on his thigh and he is out of danger. The encounter took place in Jinelguda village on the Saveri river bank under MV-79 police limits, he informed.
Meanwhile, a joint search operation by BSF, SOG and DVF is underway in the Jinelguda forest and adjoining areas, Rath added.
Police sources said, in the face of intensified crackdown by Chhattisgarh, the Maoists are trying to sneak into the remote bordering villages in Odisha.
Operations continuing in AP, C’garh border, says Khurania
Director general of police (DGP) YB Khurania said they are keeping a close watch on the movement of the Naxals and their attempts to cross over into Odisha from the neighbouring states of Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
Addressing mediapersons here, Khurania said the health condition of the injured personnel is stable and anti-Naxal operations are still underway in three different locations of the state, including Malkangiri.
On being asked whether there is a possibility of increase in infiltration bids as Chhattisgarh has launched an aggressive campaign in recent months, the DGP said, “Operations are continuing in the areas bordering Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh to stop the Maoists from entering Odisha. Discussions are regularly taking place with police forces of neighbouring states and other security agencies to exchange information. The anti-Naxal operations are being launched immediately after receiving inputs about their plans to move into the state,” he said.
He said the insurgents are well aware that the security forces here are alert due to which their movement through the bordering areas has reduced significantly in the recent months. Villagers are also not supporting CPI (Maoist), and presently only a few youths from the state are members of the banned outfit, he said.