In a major breakthrough in the battle against Maoists, the security personnel in Odisha gunned down at least 14 Maoists in a forest near Padia in Malkangiri district. One of the deceased is reportedly a woman cadre. A huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.

These Maoists were allegedly involved in the Darbha attack in Chhattisgarh on Many 25, which left 27 people dead, including top Congress leaders in the state. After the attack, a large number of naxals had slipped into the forests of Malkangiri district.

DGP Prakash Mishra deserves full credit for the assault on Maoists, as he has been visiting the Maoist-infested areas on a regular basis to monitor the situation and plan out a solid strategy to eliminate the red rebels. The District Voluntary Force (DVF) and Special Operations Group (SOG) jawans were involved in the operation. Malkangiri SP Akhileshwar Singh led the assault.