Maoist Attack On Police Convoy At Odisha-Andhra Pradesh Border, 7 Die

Bhubaneswar: Seven policemen were killed in a Maoist attack in Koraput, near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border. The policemen were part of a convoy which was going from Koraput to Cuttack for training. The Maoists detonated an Improvised Explosive Device when the mini bus, carrying 12 policemen and a civilian, reached near Mogarguma village on the Sunki-Salur highway, sources said. The blast was of high intensity, creating a 7-feet deep crater on the highway.

Maoist menace was seen to be on the decline in the state, with many of them accepting the government's peace initiative. Over the last year, at least 26 senior Maoists and over 700 members of their militia had surrendered following outreach programmes by the government.

In October, the Maoists had suffered their biggest reverse in the state, when 27 of them were killed in an operation in Malkangiri district.