Police on Monday lunched massive combing operations in Banka and Jamui districts after Sunday's hour-long gun battle between the cops and Maoists.

Sushil M. Singh Khopde, inspector-general of police (IG), Bhagalpur range, claimed that active policing had managed to ward off the rebel attack in Banka on Sunday.

"On the basis of some information a police team led by Banka superintendent of police (SP) Rajiv Ranjan along with special task force and paramilitary forces like Sashastra Seema Bal, conducted raids in the forests at Hardiya-Parariya falling under the rebel-hit Anandpur police outpost in Banka when the Maoists started firing on the police," IG Khopde told The Telegraph on Monday. "No one could be arrested. The most-wanted rebel leader Mantu Khaira, who was present during the encounter, too managed to escape but bloodstains suggested the rebels suffered heavy injuries in the police retaliation."

He said a massive manhunt has been launched to locate the injured rebels in Jhajha and Chakai among other places in Jamui district, as the gun battle occurred on the border of Banka and Jamui districts.

"We suspected that they (the Maoists) might have escaped to the Jamui side after the encounter. Around three to four days ago, combing operations were conducted in forest areas on the Jamui side during which we suspect the rebels may have taken shelter in Banka areas," he said. "Maoists are active in this region but thanks to active policing like frequent combing operations, long-range patrolling for area domination along with other practices, we have made them virtually defunct."

Banka SP Rajiv Ranjan told reporters that rebels' bunkers were destroyed in Hardiya-Parariya forest on Sunday and police recovered two improvised explosive devices, 52 live cartridges, 10 mobiles, night-vision binoculars, walkie-talkies and medicines apart from items of daily use like waterproof tents.

"We had the information that Maoist area commander, Mantu Khaira, along with a large number of armed rebels had assembled in the forest cover of Hardia-Parariya to carry out a major operation," the Banka SP said.

"When we tried to surround the rebels, they started firing indiscriminately on us and we also retaliated. We hit many of them, as evident from the bloodstains at the spot of the encounter."

A source said the police fired more than 200 rounds and the rebels, who had come quite close to the forces, were spotted carrying sophisticated weapons. Khaira, who carries a bounty of Rs 2 lakh on his head, was firing on the police with an AK-47 rifle, the sources claimed.

"We had almost surrounded Khaira but they managed to escape because of the inaccessible topography of the region," a police officer said on condition of anonymity.