June 28: Maoists fired on CRPF jawans early this morning from the jungles behind the police camp housed in Ramgarh High School.

The attack took place around 1.30am when the area was dark because of a power cut.

However, the jawans turned on their powerful searchlights and fired several shots back.

There was no firing from the other side after that.

Two men were arrested on the Bankura-West Midnapore border near Sarenga, about 7km from Lalgarh, while they were setting up a landmine this afternoon.

A BSF patrol team passing through the area found them hiding behind a bush. A 9mm pistol, 10 bullets and a flash gun used to detonate an explosive were found on them.

A police team later found about 50m of electrical wire and an improvised device containing 5kg of explosives buried three feet under the mud strip along the road.

Asked about the duo, home secretary Ardhendu Sen said in Calcutta: “They were caught planting a landmine. So I think it’s obvious who they are.”

Inspector-general (law and order) Raj Kanojia said the state had asked for five more companies of central forces.

The extra personnel are likely to help in combing exercises like those conducted around Lalgarh today. In one of them, five improvised explosive devices were found on a 6km stretch between Binpur and Belatikri.

Over 20 supporters of a tribal outfit sympathetic to the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities were arrested in Purulia town while extorting money from shops.