<p>Thirteen Maoists, including a woman cadre, were killed in a major police-Maoist gun battle in Odisha’s Maoist-ridden Malkangiri district late on Friday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Police sources said nearly 20 guns, including AK-47 assault rifles, besides a large number of arms and ammunition had been seized from the spot.<br /><br />The fierce encounter took place inside the deep forests under the Padia block of the tribal-dominated Odisha district, bordering Chhattisgarh. <br /><br />A majority of the killed ultras are suspected to be from the neighbouring Maoist-hit state.<br /><br />The Director General of Police Prakash Mishra, said the incident took place when the jawans of the Special Operation Group (SOG) and the District Volunteer Force (DVF) were conducting a search and combing operation in the area on the basis of an intelligence report.<br /><br />“We had specific intelligence inputs that a group of Maoists had entered our territory from neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Accordingly, a combing operation had been launched by SOG and DVF jawans. There was an exchange of fire which resulted in the killing of the armed Maoists. A Large number of arms and ammunition have been recovered from the spot. A detailed report is awaited. There has been no casualty or injury from our side,” Mishra said.<br /><br />The top cop was accompanied by several senior state police officials including Director (intelligence) P S Kutte, IG (operations) Soumendra Priyadarshi and Additional Director-General Abhay. <br /><br />Sources said the jawans ambushed the Maoists when nearly 40 of them were holding a camp inside the jungle on the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. While 13 were killed, the rest managed to escape from the spot.<br /><br />Mishra confirmed that some of the Maoists killed in the gun battle were involved in the famous Darbha valley massacre in Chhattisgarh in May this year.<br /><br />In the attack, the entire top Congress leadership of the state were wiped out by Maoists. “Some of these Maoists were involved in the Darbha valley incident,” Mishra said.<br />The top cop warned the Maoists from neighbouring states not to enter Odisha territory.<br /> <br />“We have been trying to insulate our territory from Maoists operating in neighboring states. Friday night’s incident will send a right message to them that they should not venture across the Odisha border,” the DG said.</p>
<p>Thirteen Maoists, including a woman cadre, were killed in a major police-Maoist gun battle in Odisha’s Maoist-ridden Malkangiri district late on Friday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Police sources said nearly 20 guns, including AK-47 assault rifles, besides a large number of arms and ammunition had been seized from the spot.<br /><br />The fierce encounter took place inside the deep forests under the Padia block of the tribal-dominated Odisha district, bordering Chhattisgarh. <br /><br />A majority of the killed ultras are suspected to be from the neighbouring Maoist-hit state.<br /><br />The Director General of Police Prakash Mishra, said the incident took place when the jawans of the Special Operation Group (SOG) and the District Volunteer Force (DVF) were conducting a search and combing operation in the area on the basis of an intelligence report.<br /><br />“We had specific intelligence inputs that a group of Maoists had entered our territory from neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Accordingly, a combing operation had been launched by SOG and DVF jawans. There was an exchange of fire which resulted in the killing of the armed Maoists. A Large number of arms and ammunition have been recovered from the spot. A detailed report is awaited. There has been no casualty or injury from our side,” Mishra said.<br /><br />The top cop was accompanied by several senior state police officials including Director (intelligence) P S Kutte, IG (operations) Soumendra Priyadarshi and Additional Director-General Abhay. <br /><br />Sources said the jawans ambushed the Maoists when nearly 40 of them were holding a camp inside the jungle on the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. While 13 were killed, the rest managed to escape from the spot.<br /><br />Mishra confirmed that some of the Maoists killed in the gun battle were involved in the famous Darbha valley massacre in Chhattisgarh in May this year.<br /><br />In the attack, the entire top Congress leadership of the state were wiped out by Maoists. “Some of these Maoists were involved in the Darbha valley incident,” Mishra said.<br />The top cop warned the Maoists from neighbouring states not to enter Odisha territory.<br /> <br />“We have been trying to insulate our territory from Maoists operating in neighboring states. Friday night’s incident will send a right message to them that they should not venture across the Odisha border,” the DG said.</p>
