Malkangiri: CM Patnaik congratulates Odisha Police over Maoist encounter

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday congratulated the Odisha Police, a day after 24 Maoists, including their top leaders, were killed in a fierce gun-battle with security forces in Malkangiri district, giving a major blow to the ultras. [caption id=“attachment_3022472” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Naveen Patnaik. PTI[/caption] Patnaik, who earlier on the day called up Malkangiri SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra and congratulated him, also hailed the role of Odisha Police in the joint anti-Maoist operation with the Greyhound jawans of Andhra Pradesh. “The chief minister congratulated Odisha Police on its success in containing naxal menace,” a communication received from the chief minister’s office said. Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh took stock of the situation along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border where 24 Maoists were killed by security forces. The Home Minister has assured the Chief Minister of providing all the central assistance in its fight against the Naxals, officials said. Monday’s encounter has come as a major setback to the red rebels as they have lost the three-decade old strong hold in the forests of the cut-off areas of Malkangiri district.