Jharkhand, Mar 8: The Saranda forest along the Odisha–Jharkhand border reverberated with gunfire on Sunday as security forces clashed with Naxals in a fierce encounter near Kolbhonga and Marangaponga under Jarai Kela police station limits.

The operation targeted the group of Misir Besra, a top Naxal commander carrying a bounty worth crores.

The encounter lasted nearly an hour, with hundreds of rounds fired from both sides.

Sources indicate that several Naxals sustained injuries in the retaliatory assault, though Besra and his team managed to escape using the cover of dense forest terrain.

More than 4,000 personnel have been deployed, with special caution exercised due to IEDs planted by insurgents. The Centre has set a March 31 deadline to clear the region, considered one of the last major Naxal strongholds.

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This follows the January 22 killing of top Naxal leader Pratiram Majhi alias Anal Da, after which Misir Besra and Asim Mandal became prime targets. While no casualties have yet been confirmed, the search operation continues with renewed intensity.