Angul: An intensive combing operation was still on at Angul-Deogarh border to arrest the injured Maoists after the long exchange of fire between police and armed ultras.
While hardcore Maoist Sushil and his wife Soni were killed during the operation police believe many ultras were injured in the firing.
Angul superintendent of police (SP) Rajesh Pandit was camping
at the site and supervising the combing operation.
A senior police official said though an eyewitness report said one Maoist was injured there may be more given the intensity of firing that took place between Special Operation Group jawans and the armed rebels.
There were at least 10 armed cadres who took on police. Soni had emptied three magazines during her fight with the police indicating that she had fired more than 50 rounds on the police before being killed, sources said
Meanwhile, the Pallahara police have registered a case against Sushil and Soni and handed over the investigation to the sub-divisional police officer.
Sushil was also wanted by Angul police in connection with the killing of a tribal Samuel Bhadra last year. Bhadra was killed on suspicion of being a police informer.
Angul district first experienced the presence of Maoists in 2008 when the ultras entered into a village bordering Keonjhar district. Then a series of Maoist violence like kidnapping and murder took place in Pallahara subdivision bordering Deogarh and Keonjhar districts.
In addition, Maoists opened their second front at Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary where two encounters took place recently.
Deputy inspector general of police (north central range) Yatindra Koyal described the killing of Maoists leaders Sushil and his wife as a great success of Orissa police and its intelligence wing.
He said the elimination will certainly break the backbone of Maoist network in the region.