SOG personnel exchange fire with Maoists in Koraput district

Koraput: Security personnel belonging to Odisha's elite Special Operation Group (SOG) and the Maoists exchanged fire at Kutudi forest in Koraput district today , police said.

"By evening today, there is no report of any casualty or injury from either side. As the place of occurrence is deep inside the forest details are awaited. Once our men returns from the spot more details will be known," said Superintendent of Police, Koraput, Charan Singh Meena.

According to police, based on intelligence inputs about the movement of a group of Naxals in the area, an operation was launched on Thursday. Around 5 am this morning, the Maoists spotted the SOG jawans and fired to which the security men retaliated.

On February 1, eight policemen were killed and five injured in a landmine blast triggered by the Maoists near Sunki on NH-26 in Koraput district.

Meanwhile in another incident, suspected Maoists today torched a contractor s camp in Odisha s Rayagada district damaging several road building equipment.

A report said that the Maoists set afire to five vehicles comprising two earth moving machines, two tractors and a water tanker belonging to a contractor engaged in road construction near Sandengleli in Parsali gram panchayat under Kalyansinghpur block of Rayagada district.

The police have seized Maoist posters from the site, reports added.

The contractor was engaged in construction of road from Parsali to Gumma.