13 Maoists killed in encounter in M’giri

--DGP appeals Maoists to return to mainstream

MALKANGIRI/BHUBANESWAR: Upsetting the growing left wing extremism in neighbouring Odisha and Chhattisgarh border area, a joint team of special operation group (SOG) and district voluntary force (DVF) killed at least 13 Maoists, including a woman, in a fierce encounter in a forest in Malkangiri district on Saturday.

The Silakuta forest in Padia area of the district where the Maoists camped is close to Maoist-hit Chhattisgarh and the ultras are suspected to have been involved in the May 25 attack by Maoists on a convoy of Congress leaders at Darabha in that State, sources said.

DG of police Prakash Mishra while leaving for Malkangiri to review the situation said here that they had specific information about the infiltration of Maoists from Chhattisgarh area to Padia area of Malkangiri district. “Acting on the particular information, we immediately launched a combing operation in the border area on Friday night with the help of SOG and DVF in the forest,” said Mishra, adding, “During a fierce exchange of fire between Maoists and the joint forces, 13 Maoists were gunned down on the spot.”

Mishra suspected that the members who were killed in the encounter belonged to two groups- Local Operations Squad and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of Chhattisgarh. He also revealed that a few of the people who were killed in the operation were the part of the attack by the Maoists on a convoy of Congress leaders at Darabha.

“We have been trying to insulate the area from outside Maoists for a longtime and it is certainly a step which would send right messages to the Maoists of outside State not to enter in our region,” said Mishra.

Claiming the operation as a major success in the drive against left wing extremists in the region, DIG of police Devdutt Singh said a massive search operation has been launched in the forest after the encounter. “Further details will be available after the ongoing search operation in the area is complete,” he added.

Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Akhileswar Singh, who led the operation, said some explosive materials, arms and ammunition and Maoist literature were seized from the site. “The successful operation will give positive motivation to our jawans,” Singh said.  

Bodies of the Maoists were brought to the district headquarters of police on Saturday. More than 20 guns including AK47 rifles and explosives including clamour mines were seized from the Maoists, said the police. 

Meanwhile, DG of police, ADG (Intelligence) Abhay, Director of Intelligence DS Kutte and IG operations Soumendra Priyadarshi visited Malkangiri to take stock of the situation and discussed with the SP about the future steps of the operations. The DG of police praised the SP for a successful operation.

Mishra after holding discussion with the SP, appealed the tribal people of the district through media that they should surrender for their better future. “My dear tribal brother and sisters of Balimela and Padia areas of Malkangiri district should come to the mainstream by leaving Maoist camps because they could not get any benefit other than losing their lives,” said the DGP.    

Notably, a high-level meeting was held at the district headquarters of the Malkangiri district on September 6 to strengthen anti-Maoist operation in the affected districts of the State.

In the meeting, six important officials including security advisor to the Union Home Ministry on Maoists issues K Vijay Kumar, ant-Maoist operation director Deepak Kheria, Chattishgarh CRPF IG, Bastar CRPF IG and Malkangiri BSF DIG discussed with the Malkangiri SP Akhilesh Kumar here about the security and intelligence systems.

Vijay Kumar had told that operation against the outlawed Maoists, who have posed a serious challenge to the internal security of the country, would be further intensified by the State police and paramilitary forces soon.