Arms and Maoist literature seized after Sunday’s encounter between the Maoists and security forces. Picture by Ratnakar Dash

Bhubaneswar, April 24: Security forces in Malkangiri today gunned down a woman Maoist following an encounter in the forests of Tentulipadar under the Orkel police limits.

The joint team of Special Operations Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) also seized three guns, a grenade and some land and claymore mines from the spot of encounter that took place in the wee hours.

The operation, the first one since Malkangiri collector R. Vineel Krishna was kidnapped by the Maoists along with a junior engineer on February 16, brought an end to the uneasy truce between the police and the rebels here. The government had suspended all operations against the rebels in the wake of the kidnapping and later reached an agreement with the Maoist-chosen interlocutors not to take coercive steps against them till they indulged in violence.

DIG (southern range) Soumendra Priyadarshi said the deceased was yet to be identified, but the fact that the woman’s uniform indicated that she was no ordinary foot soldier of the Maoists. “The Maoists were moving through the forest. Our men intercepted and challenged them,” said Priyadarshi, adding that many other rebels appear to have been wounded during the operation as a trail of blood was found in the forest.

According to the DIG, the joint SOG and DVF team began scouring the area last night following a tip-off about the Maoist movement. However, it was only early this morning that they came face to face with the rebels. No policemen have been reported injured in the operation. The weapons seized from the spot included a 303 rifle, a .22 gun and a country-made pistol.

The body of the slain rebel, believed to be a native of Andhra Pradesh, has been brought to the Orkel police station for identification. Malkangiri, a known rebel stronghold, shares its borders with both Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and regularly provides sanctuary to Maoists from these states.

Significantly, the encounter comes in the wake of the arrest of top ranking Maoist leader Ghasi alias Khatru in Koraput district on April 4. Ghasi, who was picked up from Semiliguda area in Koraput, is a key member of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) Andhra-Orissa Border Special Zonal Committee and wanted in over 30 cases of violence in the state. In Andhra Pradesh, he carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head.

About a month before Ghasi’s arrest, the police had given another jolt to the Maoists by nabbing Shatrughna Biswal, one of their area commanders in western Orissa, from Bargarh railway station. While many more rebels have since been arrested in the state, three Maoists, including a 15-year-old boy, laid down arms before Jajpur superintendent of police D.S. Kuttey on Monday.

Much more significant, however, has been surrender of the women cadres who have sought the protection of police after being exploited by their male colleagues in Maoist camps. While one woman cadre laid down arms in Jajpur district this March, five, including a deputy commander, surrendered in January in Keonjhar. All of them were minors and members of the Kalinga Nagar Division Committee of the outlawed CPI (Maoist).