Phulbani, June 30: At least, two notorious Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire with the District Voluntary Force (DVF) near the Puranjhiab Reserve Forest under Baliguda police limits Odisha’s Kandhamal district on Monday, a senior police officer said.

The slain Maoists were identified as Manku and Chandan, who belong to the Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) division of the proscribed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) organisation.

Manku works as an Area Committee Member (ACM) in KKBN of the CPI(Maoist), while Chandan is a member of the banned outfit.

Following an intelligence input that Maoists were hiding in the area, the combing operation was launched by the DVF personnel under the direction of Kandhamal SP, Harish V.C. around noon.

As the Maoists opened fire targeting the security forces, the DVF personnel retaliated in self-defence in which the two Maoists were gunned down, informed the Police.

From the encounter site, police recovered one rifle, a revolver, live ammunition, a walkie-talkie set, batteries, and various other Maoist materials. The bodies of the deceased Maoists were recovered, and a search operation has been intensified in the area to prevent any further insurgent movement.

Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania congratulated SP Harish V.C. and the DVF team for this successful mission.

As per reports, as many as six Maoists were killed by the security forces while the cops arrested eight other ultras in 2024 in Odisha.

Police sources revealed that 24 Maoists have surrendered in 2024. The Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a public programme in Telangana on Sunday, reiterated the government’s firm resolve to eradicate Maoism from the country by March 2026.

Shah appealed to the Maoists to drop their guns and join the mainstream.

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