The joint forces of Centre and the state today faced down Maoist squads after an hour-long gun battle while closing in on Madhupur during which the security forces fired mortar shells.

Though Madhupur was reclaimed without any casualties reported from either side, Maoist leaders and tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato remained at large.

The face-off with the Maoists came in the morning when the joint forces from their respective base camps at Kantapahari, Ramgarh, Sejua and Bhimpur started for Madhupur through Sejua and Birbanpur villages. As the Maoists fled after the gun battle, forces reclaimed Madhupur village around noon.

A senior officer supervising the operations said the ultra triggered a land mine blast at Birbanpur, which was followed by a gun battle between the Central Reserve Forces personnel and Maoists.

The forces later combed villages in the area for the Maoists and Mahato.

“The operation will continue till the administration starts functioning properly in the area,” said Manoj Verma, Superintendent of Police, Midnapore West.

He added that at least 28 suspected Maoists have been arrested so far from the Lalgarh area but admitted that the top leaders are yet to be nabbed.

Meanwhile, three armed Maoists, including a woman, Mala Kumar, were arrested from Baharampur jungle in Purulia while one person with suspected Maoist links was picked up from Sankarpur village near Rajnagar in Birbhum.

Purulia SP Rajesh Yadav said the Maoists were arrested during a search operation in the jungle. A landmine and two two-barrel guns and some posters were seized from them, said Yadav.