Maoist hideout busted, cartridges seized after gunfight in Odisha

Security forces busted a camp of the CPI (Maoist) and seized a large number of cartridges after an exchange of fire with cadres of the banned outfit in Odisha's Bargarh district, police said on Sunday.

Security forces busted a camp of the CPI (Maoist) and seized a large number of cartridges after an exchange of fire with cadres of the banned outfit in Odisha's Bargarh district, police said on Sunday. The gun-battle took place in Gandhamardan reserve forest in Paikmal police station area on Saturday and it lasted for around 30 minutes, a police officer said.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of CRPF and police personnel launched a combing operation during which they noticed the movement of around 10-15 armed Maoists. The rebels started indiscriminate firing on spotting the security personnel, Bargarh Superintendent of Police Padmini Sahoo said. The security personnel took defensive positions and appealed to the Maoists to stop firing and surrender, to which they shouted "Lal Salaam Zindabad", she said.

Left with no other alternative, the security personnel resorted to controlled firing in self-defence. The exchange of fire continued for around 30 minutes. The rebels managed to escape taking advantage of dense foliage and heavy rain, the officer said. During a search operation carried out in the area after the gunfight, the security personnel busted a Maoist hideout and seized a large number of cartridges, she added.

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