Bhubaneswar: Twelve out of 16 Naxalites, killed in an encounter with security forces in Odisha’s Nuapada district and Chhattisgarh’s Kullarighat forest area bordering Chhattisgarh, have been identified as notorious extremists. Most importantly, one of the deceased hailed from Cuttack in Odisha.
According to sources, the list of deceased Maoists includes Alok aka Munna, a top leader with a reward of Rs 18 lakh on his head. He is from Kulasri under Niali police limits in Cuttack district. Other identified Naxals include Gudu, Bauribandhu, Sukhram, Satyam, Shankar, Rinki, Jaini, Kala, Rami, and Bijay.
Bauribandhu was a member of the district committee with a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head. Satyam had a reward of Rs 20 lakh, while Gudu had a reward of Rs 20 lakh. Two female Naxals, Kala and Rami, had a reward of Rs 1 lakh each on their heads. Bijay, a central committee member, had a reward of Rs 3 lakh on his head.
A joint operation by the Chhattisgarh Police, CRPF, and Odisha Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) yielded a massive haul of arms and ammunition, including AK-47s, SLRs, INSAS rifles, and other automatic weapons, which were recovered from the site
The encounter is seen as a major success for the security forces in their fight against Maoist insurgency in the region.
