Specialised teams of Kerala Police engaged in a fierce gunbattle with Maoists in a forest area in this northern district on Monday, police said.

The exchange of fire took place in the Njettithodi area of the Uruppumkutty forest under the Karikkottakari police station limit, they said.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Putta Vimaladitya said that the Maoists initiated the firing, prompting the police to retaliate during their combing operations in the forest.

The ultras, numbering eight, managed to flee the scene, he said.

Subsequent to the gunfire, the police conducted a search in the area, uncovering two camp sheds believed to belong to the Maoists.

Bloodstains were also discovered, suggesting that the Maoists might have been injured during the exchange, police sources said.

Hospitals in the vicinity have been placed under police surveillance, and the search for the escaped Maoists continues into the night.

The Karikottakari police have registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Top police officials are currently stationed in Iritty close to the area.

This incident follows an exchange of fire between the Thunderbolt force and Maoists in a forest area in Wayanad the previous week.

Two Maoists -- a man and a woman -- were arrested after a gun battle in the Periya area under the Thalappuzha police station limit in Wayanad.

They were identified as Chandru and Unnimaya.

In a separate incident last month, a group of six armed Maoists took control of a private resort in Makkimala, Wayanad.

They seized the manager's mobile phone to convey a statement to the media about issues faced by estate workers.

The police registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act in connection with this incident.

There have been recent reports indicating suspected Maoist presence in various forest-fringe hamlets in the northern districts of Wayanad and Kannur.

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