Bolangir: Two Maoists were killed in an encounter with the security personnel inside the forest area in Odisha’s Bolangir district late on Saturday night.
Sources said the District Voluntary Force (DVF) and the Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel, acting on a tip-off about the presence of some Maoists, had launched a combing operation in Dudukomal forest area under Belapada block, led by Bolangir SP K Siba Subramani at about 1 am.
During the operation, the Maoists suddenly opened fire to which the DVF personnel retaliated. Unable to resist the counter-attack, the Red rebels managed to flee the area.
The security personnel later found bullet-ridden bodies of the two Maoists.
The two Maoists killed in the encounter have been identified as Sanjeeb of Puarti village under Jagarkunda police station limits of Sukma district In Chhattisgarh and Rakesh of Chhattisgarh.
The security personnel recovered one AK-47 rifle, one Insas rifle, two magazines, 24 rounds of live ammunition, one navigation compass and one big knife.
The bodies were later taken to the Belpada police station.
Following the incident, combing operation in the area has been intensified.
