12 suspected Maoists killed in gunfight near Chhattisgarh-Odisha border

At least 12 suspected Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday morning, The Indian Express reported.

The gunfight took place in the Kulhadighat area of the Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, close to Chhattisgarh’s border with Odisha’s Nuapada district.

It was a joint operation by the police forces of Chhattisgarh and Odisha, the newspaper reported.

The Maoist casualties could be more, The Indian Express quoted the Odisha Police as saying. “A massive search operation is underway…in the area and the joint operations against Maoists will continue,” the newspaper quoted an unidentified senior police officer as saying.

The security forces seized several arms and ammunition.

This came a day after two suspected Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district on Monday. A member of the Central Reserve Police Force also suffered a minor injury, The Hindu reported.

The two women who were killed in Gariaband belonged to the Sonabeda-Dharambandha Committee of the Maoists, officials said

The gunfight, which started at 8 am, also took place in the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve near the state’s border with Odisha. The location was about 70 km from the Gariaband district headquarters.

The joint operation on Monday was carried out by the Gariaband Police, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action and Odisha’s Special Operation Group.

The Maoists attacked the security…

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