A police constable was killed and another injured in an exchange of fire with naxals in an insurgency-infested pocket of Rajnandgaon district, police said.
The skirmish took place at around 11:45 am in the forests of Bhave village under Gatapar police station limits while a team of district force was out on a search operation, a district police official informed.
Assistant constable Sukhuram Netam (33), died in the incident and another assistant constable Asharam Tekam sustained minor splinter injury, he said.
The patrolling party had launched the operation from Bakarkatta area on Thursday.
When security forces advanced through the jungles of Bhave, bordering Balaghat area of Madhya Pradesh on Friday, they came under
heavy fire from a group of ultras leading to a gun-battle between both the sides, the official said.
However, rebels soon escaped into core forests, the official said adding that during searches, security forces recovered maoist-related documents, bags and other items from
the spot. Blood stains found at the spot indicate that some maoists were also injured in
the gun-battle but their colleagues managed to take them away, he added.
The injured constable Sukhuram who was hit by bullet in his abdomen and Asharaam were immediately airlifted to Raipur for treatment at a private hospital.
While Sukhuram was declared dead after examination at the hospital, Asharaam was said to be out of danger and undergoing treatment there, he added.
The body of the martyred jawan will be brought to Rajnandgaon after the postmortem, he added.
Sukhram who was posted with police line in Rajnandgaon was a native of Sandewahi village under Sitagaon police station limits of the district.