Angul: Maoist cadres are using the Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary as a hideout despite regular combing operations by the police, said sources.

Recently, security forces came to know about their movement in the Narasighpur forest, part of the sanctuary.

This, however, was not the first time that they were spotted in the area. Six years ago, residents of Satkosia villages had spotted the Maoists holding meetings and trying to get friendly with the people. They did not harm forest officials.

However, in 2015, they became aggressive and started threatening villagers and attacked forest employees of Satkosia. They burned down two camps and injured some foresters in the jungle. The police had advised senior forest officials not to venture into forest without protection.

That was when the cops became more pro-active.

In 2015, two encounters took place between the Maoists and the police but there were no casualties on either side. The cops later nabbed a Maoist supporter from Satkosia.

In 2016, the then Angul police chief had claimed that Satkosia was free from Maoists. But the rebels are now back in the forests.

According to a senior forest official who did not want to be named, Maoists had never really left the region. They used to take shelter in the area with the help of local people. They are once again moving in the area but have not harmed anyone yet.

"It seems they take shelter in this belt when police turn the heat on them in other areas. They find it easy to hide here because of the thick forest cover," the official said.

Incidentally, Angul district, of which Satkosia is a part, is close to Sambalpur and Deogarh that have a history of Maoist activity. In the past there have been reports of Maoists trying to cut a corridor through Deogarh, Sambalpur and Angul.

Angul superintendent of police Brijesh Rai said: "Combing is on to flush out Maoist cadres in the Satkosia forest region. We are always alert and monitoring the developments taking place in the Sakosia sanctuary closely."