Five Naxals gunned down in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli

Five Naxals were killed in an exchange of fire with police in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on Sunday. The identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained.

Gadchiroli (Maharashtra): Five Naxals including three women were gunned down in an encounter with police commandos in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on Sunday evening.

The gunbattle broke out between the ultras and C-60 commandos, a specialised combat unit of the Gadchiroli police.

The face-off took place at Kosmi-Kisneli forest around 4 pm, the Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) office said.

"The C-60 commandos of the Gadchiroli police were conducting a combing operation in the forest area in Dhanora taluka when Naxals opened fire," it said in a statement.

"However, the Naxals soon fled from the spot after the police team launched a retaliatory attack," it said.

Later during the search, bodies of five ultras were recovered from the spot. Their identity is yet to be established, it added.

Following the incident, Gadchiroli police have intensified the anti-Naxal operation in the forest, the statement said.

PTI REPORT