Bhubaneswar, Sept. 18: A senior Maoist leader was killed in an encounter with security forces near Daudapat village forests under Madkapadar gram panchayat of Malkangiri district, police said today.

Inspector-general of police (south-western range) Yashwant Jethwa said Sundhi Dalei alias Erra Madkami, member of Andhra Odisha Border Committee of the CPI (Maoist), whose bullet-riddled body was recovered from the spot, was carrying a ward of Rs 4 lakh on his head.

Two rifles, a sten gun, some ammunition and kitbags of the Maoists camping in the forest that falls within the Mathili police limits were seized from the spot following the gun battle that began late last night.

Malkangiri superintendent of police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra led the district voluntary force-assisted operation.

Sources said district police and the voluntary force teams reached the area following specific intelligence inputs about movement of the Maoists.

The rebels were the first to open fire when they spotted the police team. The police retaliated resulting in a heavy exchange of fire between the two sides.

The body of the slain rebel was recovered from the forests more than an hour after the operation, which was the first concerted attack on the Maoists by the security forces operating in the district after around six months. Sources said it had been confirmed that the Maoist killed in the operation was a member of the Andhra-Odisha Special Border Zonal Committee, which also controls parts of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

In January, the paramilitary forces had gunned down a Maoist in the district in a jungle under Ralegada panchayat, which is part of Malkangiri’s “cut-off” area, so called because of its difficult terrain. Located across the Balimela reservoir bordering Andhra Pradesh, the panchayat falls within the highly sensitive Paparmetla police station area.

A much bigger success for the police was the gunning down of 13 Maoists in September last year in an operation, led by the then Malkangiri police superintendent, Akhileswar Singh. Never before had so many rebels been killed in a single operation by the police in any part of the state.

Nearly 17 of the state’s 30 districts have been witnessing Maoist activity, but the situation is particularly grave in Malkangiri and Koraput, where the rebels have stepped up violence in a bid to re-establish their authority. The rebels, who have been facing resistance from local tribal people, have been indulging in senseless violence.