Five CPI (Maoist) cadre were killed in an exchange of fire in the bordering areas of Kalahandi and Kandhamal districts in Odisha on Wednesday.
Four women and one was man were killed in the operation launched by the Kalahandi police on Tuesday on the basis of reliable intelligence input.
The Special Operation Group, a special anti-Naxal force, and the District Voluntary Force, a special constabulary unit of the State police, had participated in the operation. One SOG jawan was reported to be injured.
“The operation was launched in Madan Rampur area of Kalahandi district. In the exchange of fire, five cadre belonging to the Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) division were killed. The operation is going on,” Battula Gangadhar, Kalahandi SP, told The Hindu over phone.
Mr. Gangadhar said it was presumed that there were 40 to 50 left-wing extremists in the dense forest.
“An exchange of fire took place on Wednesday morning. When one team of SOG and DVF was subjected to heavy firing from the Maoists, they resorted to retaliatory fire. This exchange lasted for half an hour,” said the State police here.
More teams of the SOG, the DVF and the Central Reserve Police Force were later sent to the area for combing operation.
On July 5, the Odisha police had gunned down four extremists near the Tumudibandh area of Kandhamal which was dubbed its biggest success in a single operation. Never before had so many top Maoist cadres died in a single operation. On July 6, another naxalite was killed in the same area. On July 23, two more LWEs had lost their lives in exchange of fire.
