Six maoists/naxalites killed in two separate incidents

Koraput: Five Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces here on Wednesday, the district police said.

According to Koraput Superintendent of Police Kanwar Vishal Singh, "Five Maoists, including three women, were killed in an encounter in Padua forest area of the district. The encounter took place near the state's border with Andhra Pradesh."

A polling official was shot dead by Maoists in a village in Kandhamal district a day ahead of the second phase of elections in Odisha on April 18.

In a separate incident,  a woman Naxal was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Gonderas jungle in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh on Wednesday morning.

"A few more Naxals might have been hit but we could not recover their bodies,"  Deputy Inspector General (anti-Naxal operations) Sundarraj P told ANI.

The exchange of fire between the Naxals and the security forces in the jungle in Aranpur police station area started at around 5 am on Wednesday.

Besides that, one INSAS rifle and one 12 Bore weapon with ammunition and other incriminating materials have also been recovered.

"District Reserve Guard female commandos 'Danteshwari Ladake' also took part in this encounter," said SP Dantewada Abhishek Pallava.

All security personnel are reported to be safe.