Jajpur, Jan. 2: Five Maoists including four women were killed in a gun battle with security forces in a Jajpur district forest today.

The Maoists fired at a joint team of the state police and the elite Special Operations Group (SOG) when they were combing the dense Raighati forest under Tomka police station limits last night.

Jajpur superintendent of police D.S. Kuttey said the combing operation had been launched after receiving a tip-off that some Maoists were proceding towards the area bordering Jajpur district.

“We retaliated when the Maoists first attacked security forces. The gunfight began at about 12.30am and continued till 7.00am on Sunday,” the SP said. The SOG fired back, and five rebels were killed in the nearly seven-hour battle, said Kuttey. Five bodies were found in the morning, he said adding that none of the security persons were either injured or killed. A total of 12 rifles, including an SLR and ammunition were seized from the encounter site, he said.The forest was combed after the encounter.

On December 29, a woman Maoist had been killed in an encounter during a combing operation in Talapara forest in Telkoi police station area in Keonjhar district.