Security forces and Maoists exchanged fire in the Bender forest near Lathor in Balangir district on Monday. Earlier, intelligence inputs had been received that the ultras were camping in the area. When the security personnel launched a combing operation in the area, the ultras opened fire after spotting the cops thereby prompting the jawans to retaliate. The Maoists managed to give the cops a slip during the encounter. However, the authorities seized some ammunition, a huge cache of articles used by the ultras.
The incident comes close on the heels of the encounter on Sunday in Malkangiri district where a was gunned down in an encounter.A day earlier, two people were killed and two abducted in two separate incidents in Kandhamal district.
