Four Naxals killed in encounter near Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border

At least four Naxals including three women were killed on Wednesday in an encounter in Gadchiroli district of eastern Maharashtra, officials said.

The incident took place near the border of Gadchiroli and Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh, said a police statement.

Police had received credible information on August 25 that Gatta Dalam, Company No 10 and other Maoist formations of Gadchiroli Division were present in the Koparshi forest area, it said.

Nineteen units of C-60 -- an anti-Naxal commando force of Gadchiroli police -- and two units of CRPF's Quick Action Team were sent to the area, it said.

Braving torrential rains for the last two days, the team led by Additional Superintendent of Police Oeratijns M Ramesh reached the forest on Wednesday morning. Naxals opened fire as the team was conducting a search operation, the statement said.

The security personnel retaliated and the exchange of fire continued intermittently for almost eight hours.

Afterwards, the bodies of three women and a man were retrieved along with an SLR rifle, two INSAS rifles and a .303 rifle, the officials said.

The search operation for the remaining Naxals continues in the area, the statement said.