Malkangiri, Feb 20: In a major breakthrough, five Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Keregutta forest area of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, along the Malkangiri border.

According to official sources, security personnel launched a combing operation in the forest following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists in the area. The joint operation was carried out by security forces and local police.

A prolonged exchange of fire ensued between the Maoists and the security personnel. After the gun battle, the Maoists reportedly fled the spot. During subsequent search operations, the bodies of five Maoists were recovered from the encounter site.

Security forces have intensified search operations in the dense forest area, as intermittent firing was reported to be continuing at the time of filing this report.