Malkangiri: A security person and a Maoist were killed in a gun-battle in Odisha's Malkangiri district on Wednesday, police said.

One jawan was also seriously injured in the encounter that took place early on Wednesday during a combing operation by Special Operation Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force(DVF) in the forest, Additional Superintendent of Police U C Nayak said.

The operation, led by Malkangiri's Superintendent of Police Rishikesh D Khilari, was carried out in Bonda Ghati, a hilly forest area, under Mudulipada police station limits following information about presence of Maoists in the forest, he said.

A group of Maoists, positioned atop the hill, opened fire at the SOG and DVF men after noticing them and the security personnel retaliated. In the exchange of fire, a DVF person was killed and another was seriously injured, Nayak Said.

A Maoist was also killed in the encounter while other red rebels fled into the dense forest, he said, adding that some of the ultras were suspected to have sustained injuries. Two rifles, some ammunition and other materials were recovered from the site, police said.

The deceased Maoist, identified as Rakesh Sodhi, carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head. Sodhi was camping along with a group of left wing extremists in Pakanguda forest in Bonda Ghat area.

A resident of Sukuma district of neighbouring Chhattisgarh, Sodhi was a top leader of Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of Maoists and commander of a military platoon of the banned CPI (Maoist).

The combing operation has been intensified inside the forest after the encounter and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have also been mobilised in the area, police said. The deceased DVF person was identified as Jaisingh Kabasi and injured jawan, Ramsingh Durua, has been sent to Visakhapatnam for treatment.

(PTI)