Nalco mine gunbattle ends; 4 naxals killed

A ten-hour long gun battle between the security personnel and naxals in Asia's largest bauxite mine in Orissa's Koraput district has finally come to an end this morning leaving at least four naxals dead.

In one of its kind attack for the first time on any corporate set up in Orissa, over 200 Maoist rebels launched an attack on the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) camp near the mine on Sunday night at about 9.15 p.m.

'Seven CISF jawans and four Maoists were killed,' district police chief Deepak Kumar told IANS. Nearly 100 miners trapped inside the mine were freed safely.

As per reports, the entire area was grounded with landmines by the Maoists, making it difficult for the paramilitary forces to reach the area. Additional police forces were sent within the first hour of the gun battle.

According to local police, the attack was planned to disrupt the upcoming polls and also with an aim to loot arms and ammunitions from the CISF armoury. The Maoists were also opposing expansion of mining operation in the area.

The Panchpatmali hill mine is an open-pit bauxite mine run by state-owned National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco). The company is Asia’s largest and the sixth largest aluminium exporters in the world.