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.
Additional SP Tapan Narayan Rath said the injured DVF Jawan has received bullet injuries on his thigh and he is out of danger. The encounter took place in Jinelguda village on the Saveri river bank under MV-79 police limits, he informed.
Meanwhile, a joint search operation by BSF, SOG and DVF is underway in the Jinelguda forest and adjoining areas, Rath added.
