In a fierce gunbattle between the security forces and Maoists, the former on Sunday gunned down a Maoist and seized four rifles from the spot in Chikatpali forest near Ralegada in Chitrakonda cut-off area of Malkangiri district.
After getting information about the movement of 30 red rebels in the cut-off area, the BSF personnel reached Chikatpali village and started a combing operation to locate the hideouts of the ultras in the forest near the village.
As the BSF jawans were closing in on the Maoist hide-out, the ultras opened fire which was immediately retaliated by the jawans leading to a fierce exchange of fire for about an hour, said Malkangiri SP Akhileshwar Singh.
One Maoist was killed in the face-off while the rest of his companions fled from the site, Singh said, adding, “A search operation is on to track the red rebels on the run.”Notably, a woman Maoist Sirisha was killed in a gun battle with the security forces in the district on December 31 last year.
It was the second planned combing operation after Silakota forest encounter that had taken place in the border of Odisha and Chhattishgarh on September 14 last year where 13 Maoists were killed by the forces.