This is the second major encounter and the biggest in Malkangiri district of Odisha and one of the major incidents in the Andhra-Odisha border area. The bodies of the deceased Maoists are likely to be shifted to Chitrakonda in Odisha on Andhra border for post mortem. “We have intensified combing in Andhra Odisha Border forests. Thirteen Maoists were killed in an encounter with the police in September 2013 in Podia block in Malkangiri district. It is suspected that the Maoists had gathered up in a cut-off area of Malkangiri district to re-strengthen their base in the area.

Source: The Hindu October 24, 2016 03:40 UTC