SAA event in Odisha, Kandhamal District area, India on Tue 16th June 2026

On June 16, Security Forces (SFs) recovered a cache of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) arms and ammunition from a concealed dump in the forests of Kandhamal District, Odisha, reports The New Indian Express. Acting on intelligence inputs, joint teams of the Special Operations Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) launched a combing operation in the forested areas of Sitagurha, Ganjugurha, Kutibarhi, Gudrikya and Lanjam villages under the Kotagarh, Baliguda and Tumudibandha Police Station jurisdictions. During the operation, SFs located a hidden Maoist dump in the Kotagarh area. The recovered weapons included one .303 rifle, two 12-bore guns, two single-shot guns and one 8 mm firearm with a wooden butt. Ammunition seized comprised one .303 magazine, 18 rounds of .303 ammunition, 10 rounds of 12-bore cartridges and 35 rounds of 8 mm ammunition. Kandhamal Superintendent of Police (SP) Ramendra Prasad stated that although the district was declared Maoist-free on March 31, 2026, hidden arms and supply dumps left behind by Maoists continue to be traced through sustained operations. He added that SOG, DVF, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel are conducting regular area domination exercises to prevent any resurgence of Maoist activity. This was the second Maoist dump recovered in Kandhamal within a week.