violence continues in several places irrespective of shoot at singht order.
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Bhubaneswar ( Orissa) : Communal violence continues to spread across the State with situation gradually leading towards more critical in Kandhamal following the death of Swami Laxmananda Saraswati at Jalaspata Ashram on last Saturday.
The administration has issued shoot at sight order in eight most sensitive places but the agitating people while defying the order, continuing attack at several locations, police sources said.
According to reports, people of two communities held a pitched battle in some remote areas including Tikabali, G Udaygiri early on Thursday.
DIG, Southern Police Range, R P Koche informed that steps have been taken on war footing to bring normalcy. He further informed some violence was reported from Kotagad area of the district.
Some additional central forces have arrived in troubled areas while more were expected soon, the DIG said.
Violence spread to areas outside Kandhamal too with some incidents reported from Sundergarh, Rayagada, Gajapati and Bolangir districts.
Though officials confirmed ten deaths in the state due to the violence, unofficial sources put the toll at 15.
As Kandhamal was on the boil, shoot-at-sight was ordered yesterday in places like Phulbani, Baliguda, Tumudibandh, Raikia, Nuagaon, G Udaygiri, Tikabali and Sankarakhol, a senior official said, adding anyone found indulging in arson and rioting would be shot.
Raikia, which remained virtually unaffected during the communal riots in December last year, was hit this time where largescale violence took place and two persons were critically injured in mob attack, said a senior official, who has been camping in the district.
Kandhamal remained a 'no entry zone' to prevent outside and unwanted elements from entering the district, he said adding that all entry points were sealed, while prohibitory orders under Section 144 were in force in entire district.
