Odisha: 2 Naxals Killed In Boudh's Parhel Forest, Cops Seize Weapons During Encounter

The bodies of the two Naxals along with arms and grenades were recovered after the encounter in Odisha's Boudh district.

Two naxals were killed after an encounter broke out between militants and the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Odisha's Parhel Forest Reserve under the limits of Kantamal police station limits in Boudh district. Bodies of the two Naxals along with arms and grenades were recovered, and the operation was underway, confirmed ADG (Operations) Dev Datta Singh, reported PTI. 

Notably, Boudh is not identified by the government as a naxal-hit area. The naxalism-affected areas in Odisha are Bargarh, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabrangpur, Nuapada, Rayagada, Sundergarh.

The development comes a week after a total of 29 Naxals were killed and three security personnel sustained injuries in the encounter that broke out in Kanker which lies in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. 

Huge quantities of arms and ammunition were recovered after the area was searched following the encounter. 

On Wednesday, as many as 18 Naxalites, including a militia platoon section commander and three women, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada, said a senior police official. 

According to Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai, Hidma Oyam (34) was working as the Hurrepal Panchayat Militia Platoon (HPMP) section commander. 

The three women who surrendered were identified as Sambati Oyam (23), was working as a deputy commander of HPMP, Gangi Madkam (28), the vice president of Kakadi Panchayat Krantikari Mahila Adivasi Sangthan (KAMS) of the banned CPI (Maoist), and Hungi Oyam (20), a member of Chetna Natya Mandli, the cultural wing of CPI (Maoists), as per a PTI report. 

Rai said that the Naxals surrendered themselves because they were impressed by the police's rehabilitation drive 'Lon Varratu' and disappointed with the hollow Maoist ideology.

"These cadres were tasked with digging roads, felling trees to block roads and putting up posters and banners during shutdowns called by Naxalites. They will be provided facilities as per the government's surrender and rehabilitation policy," the SP added.