Koraput: The police and Maoists exchanged fire late Wednesday night in the Hatibari forest near the Andhra Pradesh border in an area coming under Nandapur police station in this district.
Sources said when the district police, the District Voluntary Force (DVF) and Special Operations Group (SOG) jawans were conducting a joint combing operation in the Hatibari forest the Maoists started firing. The joint team hit back effectively at the ultras.
The Maoists fled after the police team retaliated. Some of the left wing extremists are believed to be injured in the shootout.
Two Andhra Pradesh legislators were shot dead near this area of Koraput district some time ago. After that, the Nandapur area committee and the Koraput divisional committee of Maoists became active in the region.
The DGP had held detailed discussions with senior police officials of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the BSF, the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) and the district police during his recent visit to Koraput to counter the Maoists and ensure peaceful polls.
The meet had decided to conduct combing operations in the border areas of Koraput with the help of the police forces of the three states.
PNN
