Kolkata: There was a heavy exchange of fire between a police patrol party and ultra outfit Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) activists at Lakasai hills in West Bengal's Purulia district early today (Mar 27, 2004), though no casualty was reported.

State's IGP-law and order Chayan Mukherjee said that acting on a tip-off, the police patrol party cordoned off the hills when they were subjected to heavy firing by the militants who had been hiding there.

The police returned the fire, but the ultras made off in the dense forest.

Police recovered several firearms, including a rifle, a revolver, 35 to 40 rounds of ammunition and two landmines.

The place of occurrence falls under Bandwan, scene of landmine blast by the MCC militants in which the officer in-charge of Bandwan thana was killed about six months back.