Hours after police busted a Maoist hideout in Malkangiri district on Friday, security forces and the Red rebels had a faceoff in the Sumerbandh area under the Phiringia police station in Kandhamal district. There was a fierce exchange of fire between Maoists and security personnel in the forest.
Acting on reliable inputs about the presence of ultras of the KKBN Division in the forest, Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel launched a combing operation. But spotting the SOG personnel, the ultras initially opened fire, to which the police retaliated.
However, there were no reports of any casualties from both the sides.
A Maoist camp was busted and destroyed following the gunfight.
The security forces have launched a combing operation in the area to trace the fleeing ultras.