By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : The Orissa government Tuesday said it had found 33 bodies, mostly of policemen, from a boat sunk in a Maoist attack in Malkangiri district June 29. But five men are still reported missing.
Navy divers and search teams retrieved the boat from Balimela reservoir, some 700 km from here, and brought it ashore Sunday night. It was checked thoroughly Tuesday.
“Some bodies and guns were recovered from the boat Tuesday,” Deputy Inspector General of Police Sanjib Panda told IANS. “Now only five people are missing.”
District police chief Satish Gajbhiye said: “Although operation by the army and the navy has come to an end, the police will continue its search in the reservoir for the five men and the missing arms.”
The rebels attacked a ferry carrying Andhra Pradesh police’s elite anti-Maoist force personnel when they were returning from neighbouring Orissa after assisting the police there to crack down on the rebels.
The ambush left 38 security personnel missing. The majority of the bodies were recovered from the sunken boat.