Bhubaneswar (PTI): Security forces on Sunday gunned down at least twenty Maoists, including some women cadres, during the ongoing combing operation at Nayagarh, where extremists killed 14 policemen, and four other districts of Orissa.

Security forces, however, lost three of its personnel in the combing operation launched on a massive scale in different sensitive pockets in Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal and Rayagada districts.

"We have information about killing of 20 Maoists and three jawans of Special Operation Group (SOG) during the combing operation," Home Secretary T K Mishra told reporters.

Refusing to divulge details of the operation, Mishra said casualty of naxals could be more. "But we have specific information about death of 20 ultras since yesterday," Mishra said adding Additional Director General of Police M M Praharaj was leading the operation which would continue "till the end".

Without disclosing the exact location where the maoists were killed by security force, he said "reports are received from different places including the Gansar Hills".

Mishra said sophisticated equipment like night binoculars, global positioning system (GPS) and other gadgets were being used to monitor movement of ultras inside dense forests.

This apart, Mishra said two choppers were being used for movement of personnel in order to coordinate the operation.

Thirteen policemen were among 15 people gunned down by about 500 heavily-armed naxalites who struck at five police establishments and drove away with huge quantity of arms and ammunitions in Nayagarh district of Orissa on Friday night.

Sources said besides elite Greyhound Forces from Andhra Pradesh, specially trained para-military jawans, SOG forces and armed police jointly launched the operation.

"We are on offensive mode and there is no question of compromising with the situation as 14 policemen and a civilian were killed by Maoists on Friday night," Mishra said.

Mishra also refuted allegations of failure of intelligence at Nayagarh saying the ultras, in fact, outnumbered security personnel.

Centre's support

Lauding Centre's support in carrying out the operation, Orissa Government said it was in touch with the union home ministry.

Special secretary in the union home ministry M K Kumawat, who is also chief of the task force against Maoists, today went to Nayagarh town to assess the situation there.

"All possible assistance will be provided for tackling the Maoist problem," Kumawat told reporters at Nayagarh after inspecting the looted armouries.

Meanwhile, a delegation of opposition parties led by Congress leader J B Patnaik today made an on spot inquiry at Nayagarh and held the state government responsible for killing of 14 police personnel and a civilian by Maoists.

Patnaik said he would raise the issue in the assembly tomorrow. The spot was close to Bhubaneswar and it was an alarming indication, he said.