At least two security personnel and as many Maoists were killed in an encounter in Mirtur region of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Sunday.
"A Special Task Force (STF) jawan and another from district police force died in the incident while one was injured. Besides, two Naxals were also killed in the incident," PTI quoted Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela as saying.
The martyred policemen were identified as STF constable Sitaram Kunjam and assistant constable of district police reserve group's Moti Ram, 28. The police were trying to bring the injured constable Payku Ram Poyam back to the camp from the forest.
The gunbattle between the two sides began on Sunday morning, when a joint team of STF and district police force went into the forests in Gangaloor and Mirtur areas to hunt down the extremists of Communist Party of India (Maoist).
As soon as the joint contingent entered the forests of Mirtur, the Maoists opened fire at them.
The security personnel also retaliated and gunned down two Maoists, while others managed to flee into the deep forest, Elesela said, adding that a team has been sent into the forest to hunt the Naxals down.
