2 Maoists killed in Odisha's Kandhamal forests

BHUBANESWAR/BERHAMPUR: Security forces killed two Maoists, including a woman cadre, during an exchange of fire in the dense forests of Kandhamal district on Sunday, Among the deceased was a platform party committee member - equivalent to a divisional committee member - carrying a bounty of Rs 22 lakh. The woman, who served as a CPI (Maoist) party member, had a reward of Rs 1.65 lakh on her head. Police suspect the deceased to be Jagyesh and Ratna, both hailing from Chhattisgarh, though their identities are yet to be formally confirmed. An AK-47 assault rifle and a self-loading rifle were recovered from the site during a combing operation. According to the ADG (anti-Naxal operations) Sanjeeb Panda, the gunfight broke out near the Raikia (Kandhamal)-Sorada (Ganjam) border. The deceased were believed to be part of the KKBN division (Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Boudh-Nayagarh) and close associates of CPI (Maoist) state committee member Sukru alias Krishna, a native of Malkangiri, currently active in Kandhamal. "Acting on specific intelligence from the Special Intelligence Wing (SIW), our Special Operations Group (SOG) and Kandhamal district police pulled off the major operation. Searches are continuing in the forest," ADG Panda said.This encounter follows the recent surrender of four Maoists in Kandhamal and of 15 others, including top Naxal couple Nikhil and Indu, in Rayagada district on Feb 6.Police said intelligence-based operations have been intensified in Kandhamal. DGP Y B Khurania recently visited the district to review the situation and boost the morale of SOG and local police forces.In 2025, all eight Maoists killed in Odisha were neutralized in Kandhamal.