4 Maoists killed in gunfight with forces in Odisha's Kalahandi

Four Maoists were killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Odisha's Kalahandi district on Wednesday, a senior officer said.

The exchange of fire, in which a jawan of the Odisha Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) was also injured, took place in the Bhandarangi Sirki forest area on the Kalahandi- Kandhamal border, he said.

In the exchange of fire, four Maoists have been neutralised and a SOG jawan is injured. The injured jawan is being evacuated for treatment, the officer engaged in anti- Maoist operations said.

Acting on an intelligence input, the SOG along with the District Voluntary Force (DVF) launched the operation on Tuesday, he said.

Two composite teams of the SOG and DVF were part of the operation, he added.

The exchange of fire took place around 11 am on Wednesday, the officer said.

The gunfight lasted for about half an hour, he said, adding that more teams of SOG, DVF and CRPF have been rushed to the area for combing and search operation.