Kolkata, Sep 22 - Security forces are combing an area in West Bengal's Midnapore district Tuesday following overnight clashes between Maoist guerrillas and villagers, police said.

Director General of Police Bhupinder Singh told IANS that there was no sign that anyone had died in the fighting late Monday that lasted for hours.

'The joint forces have launched a combing operation at Inayatpur area. We found some used cartridges there, but no dead body was found,' Bhupinder Singh said.

'We have information that the firing went on for hours between the armed Maoists and a section of villagers.'

Singh said he did not know how a section of the media had spoken about deaths in the violence. 'I don't know how the media got the report. So far we have not got any information about the dead.'