Maoist killed, jawan injured in encounter in Odisha’s Malkangiri

MALKANGIRI: At least one Maoist was killed and a District Voluntary Forces (DVF) jawan injured in a fierce gunbattle in Jinelguda forest bordering Chhattisgarh under MV-79 police limits in Malkangiri district in the wee hours of Thursday.

Acting on intelligence input about the influx of a group of Maoists to the Jinelguda forest from Chhattisgarh, an operation was launched by Special Operation Group (SOG) jawans and DVF in the Jinelguda forest area in the pre-dawn hours.

Seeing the security forces, the Maoists fired at the police indiscriminately to which they later retaliated. One Maoist was killed in the exchange of fire.

While the deceased Maoist cadre is yet to be identified, the injured DVF Jawan has been identified as Dambarudhar Badnayak. The jawan has been rushed to Malkangiri District Headquarters Hospital.