Maoist camp busted in Kandhamal, explosives seized

Phulbani: Odisha Police’s Special Operation Group (SOG) on Friday busted a Maoist camp following an exchange of fire with the Left-wing extremists at Durgapanga reserve forest under Kotagarh police limits in Odisha’s Kandhamal district.

Seven improvised hand grenades, detonators, cordtex explosives, electric wires, solar panels, solar panels and other camp materials were seized.

Briefing the media, Kandhamal SP Shuvendu Kumar Patra said that SOG jawan retaliated to the firing by the Maoists during a combing operation. “The gun battle continued for around 30 minutes. The Maoists, however, managed to flee but the jawans destroyed the camp completely and seized explosives and other articles.”

Around 15 hardcore ultras of Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagabali (BGN) division of CPI (Maoist) had camped in the reserve forest, he added.

It may be mentioned here that BGN, a hardcore Maoist group, was very active in the area a few years back.