Odisha encounter: 3 more bodies of Maoists recovered, toll rises to 27

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police swooped down on the rebels when they were reportedly holding a plenary session.

Bhubaneswar

: Security personnel on Tuesday recovered bodies of three more Maoists killed during a joint operation by Andhra Pradesh-Odisha police in Bejing jungle between Ramgarh and Panasput in Odisha’s Malkangiri district.

The total number Maoists killed in the joint police operation rose to 27. On Monday, the police had recovered 24 bodies.

According to Visakhapatnam superintendent of police (rural), Rahul Dev Sharma, the search operations are still on and the death toll may rise further.

Meanwhile, the Malkangiri superintendent of police Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said all the 24 bodies recovered on Monday were identified.

“All the bodies recovered on Monday have been identified. The bodies have been kept in the mortuary of the district headquarters hospital at Malkangiri and they will be handed over to their relatives after following due procedure,” Mohapatra said.

Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police swooped down on the rebels when they were reportedly holding a plenary session in Bejing jungle in the early hours on Monday. There was heavy exchange of fire between the two sides. One AP Greyhound commando Mahummed Abu Bakar was also killed in the exchange of fire.

The police had seized 20 firearms, including four AK47 rifles, 10 numbers of 303 rifles, three SLR rifles, 1 INSAS rifle, one laptop and Rs 2.16 lakh from the spot.