Two Special Task Force (STF) personnel, including an Assistant Platoon Commander were on Monday killed in a gun battle with Maoists in Kondagaon district of Bastar, police said.
The skirmish took place in the forest of Tumdiwal region under Mardapal police station limits in which the two STF personnel were killed, according to Kondagaon Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh.
A joint team of STF and district force had launched the operation towards interior forest of Mardapal, around 70 kms from Kondagaon, he said.
When the security personnel reached the forests of Tumdiwal and Kudoor, they came under heavy firing from a group of Maoists leading to the gun battle between the two sides. An Assistant Platoon Commander and a constable belonging to STF were killed in the incident, Singh said.
Reinforcement was rushed to the spot and the bodies of the personnel are being evacuated from the forest, he added.
Further details were awaited as the exchange of fire was still reported to be on, Singh further said.