A Maoist bomb maker was killed by the police in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district. (File)
A Maoist expert in making bombs and planting improvised-explosive devices was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said.
The encounter took place on Friday morning when a joint team of security personnel was conducting an anti-Maoist operation in a forest near Maraiguda, senior police officer Indira Kalyan Elesela said.
"The Maoist was identified as Sodi Ganga, a jan militia commander, who was a key person for planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) on Maraiguda-Gollapalli road which had caused harm to our security forces several times in the past," he said.
On specific inputs about the presence of Maoist cadres near Virapuram village of Maraiguda region, around 450 kms from Raipur, a composite squad of District Reserve Group, Central Reserve Police Force and its elite unit CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) launched the operation, he said.
The search party came under heavy firing by a group of Maoists while it was close to Virapuram following which a gun-battle broke out between the two sides, the SP said adding the rebels soon fled from the spot taking cover of the forest.
During search, the body of the Maoist, a muzzle loading gun, a .315 bore gun, gelatin, detonators and other items of daily use were recovered from the spot, he added.
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