A Maoist rebel was killed in a gun-battle with the security forces on Thursday in the insurgency-affected Bijapur district, police said.
The skirmish took place in the forests under the Mirtur police station area adjoining Dantewada district, when a joint team of the security forces was out on a counter-insurgency operation, inspector general of police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.
Personnel belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Special Task Force (STF) had launched the operation from Dantewada inside the jungles of Dantewada-Bijapur districts border, he said.
When the patrolling team was cordoning off a forest in Mirtur area, located around 450 km away from the capital Raipur, and an exchange of fire broke out between the two sides, he said.
After the guns fell silent, the body of a male rebel was recovered from the spot, he said.
Further details are awaited as the search operation was still underway in the area, he added.