Lalgarh, June 27: Police kept the Maoists engaged near Lalgarh town this morning to stop them sending reinforcements to attack the jawans marching towards Ramgarh from Kadashole.

About 1,000 jawans set off for Pathardanga village, 3km from Lalgarh, defusing improvised explosive devices and drawing a few rounds of fire from the Maoists. The troops, from the state and central forces, returned the bullets.

“We feared the Maoists might send cadres from here to boost their strength in the Ramgarh belt,” an officer said. “So we thought if we started a march from Lalgarh, we could foil the plan.”

The jawans left Lalgarh police station around 9.30am. Sometime later, BSF jawans spotted wires sticking out of the ground in a paddy field. A bomb disposal squad was called in and unearthed two cans stuffed with explosives. “It seemed like an unfinished job,” an officer said.

As the jawans marched on, two bullets were fired in their direction. They dived to the ground and fired back. There was no more shooting after that. Around 2.30pm, when the police learnt their colleagues had reached Ramgarh, they returned to Lalgarh.