23 Maoists killed in encounter in Odisha's Malkangiri

At least 23 maoists, including six women cadres were killed in an encounter with a combined team of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police near Jantri in Panasput block of Malkangiri district in Odisha on Monday.

Two police constables were also critically injured in the encounter.

The bodies of the deceased Maoists are being air lifted to Chitrakonda in Odisha for post mortem.

Huge cache of ammunition and weapons, including four AK-47, 3 SLR and ten 303 rifles were recovered from the encounter site.

The Malkangiri district police said search and combing operations which started last night are still going on in the area and extra force is being sent to the area to intensify the combing operation.

Malkangiri is one of the areas severely affected by Maoist activities.

This is the second major encounter and the biggest in Malkangiri district of Odisha.

In September 2013, in Podia block in Malkangiri district, thirteen Maoists were killed in an encounter with the police.

During the past one year, the strength of the maoists and their support base in Malkangiri had been decreasing due to surrender of hundreds of maoist supporters including militias.