Bhubaneswar. In a significant success for security forces, the Kandhamal district police neutralised two top Maoist operatives during a fierce encounter near the Puranjiab Reserved Forest within the Baliguda police limits on Monday.
Acting on specific intelligence regarding Maoist presence, the District Voluntary Force (DVF) launched a combing operation in the dense forest area. This operation, ongoing for the past two days, was conducted under the leadership of Kandhamal Superintendent of Police Harish B.C.
Around noon, DVF personnel encountered a group of armed Maoists, leading to a heavy exchange of fire. In the subsequent encounter, two Maoists were killed. They have been identified as Manku, an Area Committee Member (ACM), and Chandan, a party member of a Maoist group active in the region.
This operation represents a significant blow to Maoist activity in Kandhamal, a district that has experienced intermittent extremist violence over the past few years. According to police sources, both deceased operatives were involved in multiple violent incidents and were key members of a local Maoist unit.
Following the encounter, security forces recovered a cache of arms and Maoist-related materials from the site, including a rifle, a revolver, live ammunition, a walkie-talkie, batteries, and other incriminating items. The bodies of the deceased Maoists were also retrieved from the location.
The area has been cordoned off, and a large combing operation is underway to locate other Maoists who may have fled during the gunfight. Police suspect that more operatives could be hiding in the dense forest, and efforts are being made to prevent their escape into neighbouring districts or across the state border.
Officials have noted that following a brief lull, Maoist activity has shown signs of resurgence in the region. Today’s successful operation is part of a broader crackdown aimed at eliminating the remaining Maoist presence in the interior pockets of Odisha.
Congratulating the team, Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania praised SP Harish B.C. and the DVF unit for their effective leadership and bravery. “This is a commendable achievement in the fight against left-wing extremism,” he stated.
Further investigations are underway to identify the network and support systems used by the slain Maoists. Security has been tightened in adjoining areas as a precautionary measure.
Notably, last month, three senior Maoists were gunned down in a similar joint operation by security forces in the Maradpalli forest near the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border in Malkangiri district.
