On December 24, two personnel of Odisha’s elite anti-Maoist force Special Operations Group (SOG) were injured after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), suspected to be planted by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), went off in the trijunction area of Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Rayagada Districts of Odisha, reports Hindustan Times. The Superintendent of Police (SP) for Kandhamal, Suvendu Patra said that a combing operation was going on in the Sirla forest under the Tumudibandh Police Station area around 10am [IST] when the IED blast took place. An exchange of fire between the SOG personnel and Maoists was also underway, he added.