21 Maoists killed in encounter in Odisha's Malkangiri district

Malkangiri (Odisha) [India], Oct.24 (ANI):A combined team of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police killed at least 21 Maoists, including six women cadres in an encounter near Jantri in the Panasput block of Malkangiri district in Odisha on Monday morning. Odisha's Director General of Police B K Singh told media that several senior Maoist leaders, including Uday, were killed in the encounter. Two police constables were also critically injured. The bodies of the deceased Maoists are being air lifted to Chitrakonda in Odisha for post mortem. Police said that they had acted on a tip-off and added that the Maoist camp was located around 10 kilometres from the Malkangiri district headquarters. The ultras were said to be resting after a meeting when the encounter took place. A huge cache of ammunition and weapons, including four AK-47, 3 SLR and ten 303 rifles has been retrieved from the encounter spot. The Malkangiri district police said that a search and combing operation is still going on in the area and extra forces are being sent to the area to intensify the combing operation. Monday's encounter is the second biggest in Malkangiri district. In September 2013, in the Podia block of the district, thirteen Maoists were eliminated in an encounter with the police. During the past year, the strength of the Maoists has been on the wane in Malkangiri. (ANI)