One security man killed in Maoists' ambush in Odisha

A security personnel was killed and six others were injured when Maoists ambushed a convoy of the Special Operation Group (SOG) in Baliguda area of Kandhamal district, the police said today.
The Maoists fired at the convoy of the SOG when they were returning after conducting an anti-Maoist operation in a forest ghat road near Khamankhol midnight last night, Inspector General of Police (Southern Range) Amitabh Thakur said.
The last vehicle of the convoy came under heavy attack.
The elite anti-Naxal force retaliated and in the fierce exchange of fire that lasted for about an hour, a security personnel, identified as Laxmikant Jani of Kalahandi district, was killed and six others were injured, Thakur said.

Those injured were taken to the district headquarters hospital at Phulbani and four of them were later shifted to the MKCG Medical College Hospital, Berhampur, where their condition was stated to be critical, the police said.
A massive combing operation was launched in the area after the incident. Reinforcement has been mobilised to step up the search operation.
Director General of Police K B Singh and other senior police officials rushed to the area to take stock of the situation, an official said.