Police-Maoist Encounter Underway In Malkangiri

Malkangiri: There has been heavy exchange of fire between the police and the Maoists inside Tulasi hill forest area in the Mathili block of Odisha’s Malkangiri district since Thursday evening.

Acting on a tip-off on the presence of a Maoist camp inside the Tulasi hill forest area, a team of District Voluntary Force (DVF) and Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel led by Malkangiri SP Ashok Meena began a search operation in the forest area in the evening.

During the operation, the Maoists, seeing the police, opened fire on the force which immediately retaliated.

A senior police official at the district headquarters said that the cross-firing was on till this morning. He said till latest reports, police had busted a Maoist camp inside the forest and seized huge cache of arms and ammunition and several Maoist kits.

The search operation is still on to track down the Maoists who have managed to flee in the early hours of Thursday.

“The detailed information would be available only after the return of the police party to the district headquarters,” the official added.