Police-Naxal Clash on Odisha-Chhattisgarh Border

Nuapada/Gariabandh: An exchange of fire took place between police personnel and Naxals along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border on Monday morning. The incident occurred during a joint anti-Naxal operation launched by Odisha Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), Chhattisgarh Police’s Special Force, and CRPF based on intelligence inputs.

The operation was initiated on the night of January 19-20, 2025, in the Kularighat reserve forest under Mainpur police station in Chhattisgarh’s Gariabandh district. The location of the operation is 5.5 kilometers from the Odisha border in Nuapada district.

The exchange of fire started around 8:30 am and is still ongoing between the SOG and Chhattisgarh Police forces. Further details on the encounter are awaited.

In related news, on January 12, at least three Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. Security personnel recovered several automatic weapons and explosives from the National Park area where the encounter took place. The operation was based on intelligence reports about Maoist presence in the region.