ROURKELA: A couple of Maoist cadres was suspected to have sustained fatal injuries in an exchange of fire with police in Lunga Reserve Forest (RF), about 100 kms from Rourkela, under Mohulpada police limits of Sundargarh district on Saturday morning.
A Maoist camp at the spot, close to Jharkhand border, was also dismantled leading to seizure of four LMG (Light Machine Gun) magazines, 200 rounds of live LMG ammunition, 8 rounds of .303 bullets and camp materials.
IG of Police (Western Range) RK Sharma accompanied by Rourkela SP Anirudh Singh and second-in-command of CRPF Sunil Bhawar, told mediapersons that the operation, which continued for 30 minutes, was conducted by Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Odisha Police and local police. Police were tipped off about movement of 20-25 Maoists inside Lunga RF and one unit of SOG and local police started combing and search operation from Friday evening.
Sharma said the police noticed the Maoist camp on Saturday morning but the Maoists started indiscriminate firing despite warning. Police fired four rounds from UBGL (Under Barrel Grenade Launcher) and around 455 rounds of ball ammunition, but the Maoists managed to retreat deep inside the forest.
After the firing stopped, police found blood stains at many places, dismantled the camp and made the seizures. Central Committee Member of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) Mihir Besra alias Sagar was suspected to be accompanying the group. Reading glass, diabetes measuring instrument and medicines were also found from the spot, Sharma said.
Police sources claimed that an armed woman cadre with fatal gunshot injury managed to drag herself to safety, while a few others were also injured in the exchange of fire. The group may try to sneak into the forest of adjacent Deogarh district of Odisha or return back to Saranda forest in Jharkhand.
Rourkela police had dismantled three Maoists camps after exchange of fire inside Gurundia forest last year.