A day after 300 to 400 Maoists ambushed a CRPF contingent killing 25 troopers in Chhattisgarh, a high alert was sounded in Malkangiri district and the Odisha border was sealed on Tuesday.
“High alert has been sounded in Malkangiri. The whole district has been put on extra vigil,” Malkangiri SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said.
“The incident took place around 45 km away from the Odisha border. SOG, DVF, CRPF and BSF are conducting a joint operation and trying to press out whoever is here inside. The border has already been sealed. We will not allow anybody to enter in our border,” said Odisha DGP KB Singh.
Notably, the Red rebels had on Monday ambushed the security personnel in a forested patch in Chhattisgarh killing 25 of them and escaping with their AK-47 assault rifles.
The 99-member CRPF patrol was on foot on the interior road, providing security to road construction activity when it came under sudden attack.
“The troopers replied in a befitting manner but taking geographical position to their advantage, the Maoists succeeded in inflicting loss to the CRPF,” a CRPF statement said. “A considerable number of Maoists are believed to have been eliminated.”
One account said local tribes passed on vital real-time inputs on the movement of CRPF men to the Maoists.