Joint security forces today exchanged fire with Maoists at Binpur forests in West Midnapore district during an ongoing combing operation, police said.
As the joint forces reached here in the wee hours, the Maoists opened fire at them to which the security forces retaliated, Additional SP (Jhargram) Mukesh Kumar said.
The Maoists fled from the area leaving behind some arms, ammunition and Maoist literature, Kumar added. A Maoist squad led by Suchitra Mahato, wife of Maoist leader Sasadhar Mahato, who was recently killed in an encounter with security forces, was camping at Amarkuli in Binpur when the joint forces launched the operation. Combing Operation was still on in the area with the Joint Forces assisted by the COBRA force of the CRPF and state police combing the area thoroughly, the ASP added.