Bhubaneswar, Jan 20: An exchange of fire between police personnel and Naxals occurred near the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border in the Kularighat Reserve Forest under Mainpur police station in Chhattisgarh’s Gariabandh district on Monday.

Based on intelligence inputs, a joint anti-Naxal operation was launched on the night of January 19-20, 2025, involving Odisha Police's Special Operations Group (SOG), Chhattisgarh Police's special forces, and the CRPF. The operation site lies 5.5 km from Odisha’s Nuapada district border. The encounter began at approximately 8:30 AM and was ongoing at the time of reporting.

This comes days after a successful operation on January 12 in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, where three Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces. Weapons and explosives were recovered from the National Park area following intelligence about Maoist presence.

These operations highlight the intensified anti-Maoist efforts in the region, aimed at dismantling insurgent networks and ensuring safety for residents along the inter-state border. Further details of today’s operation are awaited.

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