A Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre was killed in an exchange of fire with security personnel inside a forest near Kotbundel village in Kalahandi District of Odisha on July 24, reports Odisha TV. The encounter took place in the forest near Kotbundel village when Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel were conducting a combing operation, Superintendent of Police (SP), B Gangadhar said. After noticing the security personnel, about six Maoists fired at them and the SOG personnel retaliated, leading to a fierce encounter. While one Maoist was killed, the others fled the scene. A rifle has been seized from the place, he said. “A search operation has been launched in the area and efforts are on to track the Maoists, who disappeared deep inside the forest,” he said. The group of Maoists was involved in the recent killing of a contractor at Dukriguda village, Police said.
Earlier, South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) had reported, suspected Maoists have gunned down a local contractor identified as Bhima Dora at Dukriguda village under Biswanathpur Police limits in Kalahandi District on July 21 night suspecting him to be a ‘police informer’.