5 suspected Maoists killed in an encounter in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli

After an exchange of fire, the bodies of five persons along with arms, ammunition and Maoist literature were recovered from the spot, police said

At least five suspected Maoists, including two women, were gunned down in an exchange of fire with police in Khobramendha jungle under Kurkheda tehsil in Gadchiroli district, bordering Chhattisgarh, approximately 350km from Nagpur on Monday morning.

Representational image. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Deputy inspector general police, Gadchiroli range, Sandip Patil said that the Kurkheda police station had received a tip off regarding the presence of several suspected Maoists in the jungle for a training camp. Based on the information, a group of C-60 jawans, an elite anti-Naxalite squad, conducted a combing operation in the area and came across the camp.

When the they saw the police forces, they reportedly opened fired indiscriminately. They then fled the spot after the security forces returned fire. “At least five suspected left-wing extremists were killed in the encounter that last over an hour,” said Patil.

After the exchange of fire, the bodies of five persons along with arms, ammunition and Maoist literature were recovered from the spot. They are yet to be identified. “We are bringing all the bodies to Gadchiroli for autopsies,” Patil said.

The police have intensified the anti-Maoist operations in the area after the incident.