Bhubaneswar, Sep 10 (IANS): Two Special Operation Group (SOG) jawans were killed in an exchange of fire with the Maoists in a forest on the Kalahandi-Kandhamal border, said police on Thursday.
The deceased have been identified as Sudhir Kumar Tudu (28) of Mayurbhanj district and Debasis Sethy (27) of Angul district.
At least five Maoists, including four women had died in the gunbattle that took place in Odisha's Bhandarangi Sirki forest area on the Kalahandi-Kandhamal border on Wednesday.
They belonged to the Bansadhara-Ghumsar-Nagabali division of the banned CPI (Maoist), said police.
On the basis of reliable intelligence input, an operation was launched on the Kalahandi-Kandhamal border on September 8. Two composite teams of the SOG and the District Voluntary Force (DVF) of the Odisha Police participated in this operation.