Maoists Open Fire During Combing Operation in Odisha’s Boudh, Security Forces Engage in Gunfight

Bhubaneswar: A clash erupted between Maoists and security forces during a combing operation in the Nalikumbha forest within Boudh district on Thursday.

The confrontation unfolded as Special Operations Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) personnel conducted the operation, with Maoists initiating gunfire upon detecting the security forces’ presence. In response, the combing team engaged in a firefight that has persisted for the past hour, with no reported casualties thus far.

Simultaneously, in a separate incident, two members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) surrendered to Kandhamal police during the Mao review meeting.

Identified as Ranjit Naitam and Unga Poyam from Chhattisgarh, the duo had been affiliated with the Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) division of the Odisha State Committee of the CPI (Maoist) Association since 2017, engaging in various violent activities.