A Maoist was killed in a gun battle with police in Sirsa forest under the Tumudibadha police station in Kandhamal district on Monday evening.
“On Monday at 6.30 pm, Maoists resorted to heavy firing from an advantageous position and lobbed grenades at Special Operations Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force jawans. The police party immediately took cover and asked Maoists to stop firing and surrender. Some police personnel sustained injuries,” a release by police said.
Due to retaliation by police, the Maoists fled the spot. During the post-operation search, the body of a Maoist along with a kitbag was found. Two country-made weapons have also been seized from the place, the release added.
Following the encounter search operation have been intensified in the area.
Notably, four Maoists, including two women cadres, had been shot dead during an exchange of fire between the ultras and police in the Sirla reserve forest area on Sunday.
Meanwhile, police said the identity of three of the four Maoists killed in the Sunday operation has been established. One of them was identified as Kosa Sodi alias Sukru, a member of the Odisha State committee of the CPI(Maoist) with a bounty of Rs 20 lakh on his head. Sodi hailed from Malkangiri district and had taken the place of Sabyasachi Panda after his expulsion from the outfit in 2012 and is involved in a number of cases. Two others were identified as Itesh and Reena, both area committee members with rewards of Rs 4 lakh each on their heads.