24 Maoists killed in an encounter at Andhra-Odisha Border
24 Maoists were killed at a major encounter in Odisha near the border of Andhra Pradesh on 24th October. In a major offensive conducted by Odisha state police and Greyhound commandos of Andhra Pradesh, a joint operation was carried out by attacking a Maoist camp deep into the forests. The Police had reportedly been tipped off about Maoists leaders meeting in the area.
Dwindling Maoist insurgency
According to South Asia Terrorism Portal, over 7,000 people including security-personnel and civilians have died in Maoist-violence since 2005. The level of Maoist-violence has however been dwindling for the past few years. Malkangiri district, a major transit area for Maoists bordering the highly-populated Naxalite-areas of AP and Chhattisgarh, has seen significant reduction in violence as hundreds of Maoists have either been deserted or died.
Previous major offensive in Malkangiri
In 2013, the Malkangiri district was witness to a major anti-Maoist operation. In one of the biggest incidents on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, 13 Maoists were killed in a police encounter in September 2013 in Malkangiri.
The Malkangiri Operation
Enforcement agencies were tipped off about a meeting at a Maoist camp that was to be attended by nearly 50-60 Maoists including some very senior leaders. During the course of the encounter, several weapons including four AK-47s and multiple self-loading rifles were seized from the encounter site. The encounter took place nearly 650 kilometres from the capital of Odisha.
Massive blow to Maoist leadership
The operation was conducted in Malkangiri, one of the worst-affected districts by Maoist-violence. Several top Maoist leaders including Gajala Ravi and Dakuri Venkat Ramana were killed by forces. 24 bodies had been recovered and the death toll is expected to rise as injured Maoists had fled the site; combing operations are still on. Two constables were also injured in the encounter.
Malkangiri's SP confirms success
In the joint anti-Maoist operation, Malkangiri's Superintendent of Police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra, confirmed the deaths of 24 members of banned-CPI (Maoist). The deceased included 17 male Naxalites and 7 female Naxalites. He added that bodies will be airlifted as the encounter site is unreachable by road.
