New Delhi (Sputnik): Indian security forces have gunned down five left-wing extremists, including a woman, in the eastern state of Odisha. The encounter, which took place on Monday morning in the forests near Kalimela in Odisha's Malkangiri district, was led by a joint team of Odisha Police and elite federal troops from the Special Operation Group.
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Security forces seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition from the area where the standoff took place.
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Naxal rebels present India's biggest internal security challenge. In the first five months of 2018, 40 Naxals were eliminated by India's security forces. In 2017, 77 Naxals were eliminated and in 2016, the security forces killed 185 Naxals, according to official figures.
