A Maoist rally. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar/Sambalpur, Oct. 29: Senior police officials are trying to work out a new strategy to counter a spurt of Maoist violence in Sambalpur district.

Sources said a high-level meeting was held at Sambalpur on Thursday to take stock of the situation in the wake of the latest attack by the rebels on a crusher unit of a private company at Munder on Wednesday. The meeting was chaired by inspector general of police (operations) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania.

“I am here to review Maoist operations in the region,” said Khurania, refusing to divulge the details of the meeting.

Following the attack on the crusher unit, the security forces had intensified combing operations in the area, leading to an exchange of fire with the rebels near the Jadolusingh hills in Jujomura block of Sambalpur district.

Though no causalities were reported in the encounter, the police had seized a double barrel gun, five detonators and some ammunition besides Maoist literature and uniforms.

“The Maoists fired 100 to 150 rounds and police retaliated with 300 rounds. Five detonators, Maoist literature, uniforms, some eatables and a double barrel gun was seized from the spot,” said Sambalpur SP Nikhil Kanodia.

The SP said the Maoist camp was destroyed in the wake of the encounter but the rebels managed to escape.

Police said the Maoists were being led by Kunu Dehury and Girish Mahato. There were also some teenagers in the group.

“This is an effort by the Maoists to intimidate the people. They do not want any development work in the area. They think they can thwart development work by resorting to such tactics,” the SP said.

Incidentally, this was the second encounter between the Maoists and the security forces in Sambalpur district in the last one month.

On October 8, they had exchanged fire near Gaegut hill, which falls in Kisinada police limits.

Sources said the anti-Maoist operations were also being stepped up in some other areas including Malkangiri and Koraput where the BSF, assisted by the state police, has been combing forests and hills trying to flush out the rebels.

The security forces are said to have penetrated even into the inaccessible pockets of Malkangiri’s “cut off” areas from where a former district collector had been kidnapped by the Maoists a few months ago.