A villager was killed and another injured when they were caught in crossfire between the security forces and the Maoist rebels in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district early on Friday, police said.
The incident took place around 4 am when a joint team of the CRPF and the district force was out on an anti-Maoist operation in the Modakpal police station area, a senior police official said.
Acting on inputs about the movement of the rebels in the area, the security forces had launched the operation, the official said.
While the patrolling team was cordoning off a forest near Otkalpada village, a gun-battle broke out between the two sides, he said.
However, the exchange of fire soon stopped after Maoist rebels escaped from the spot, he added.
During a search of the area, security forces spotted two men who had sustained injuries after getting caught in the crossfire, the official said.
Police rushed the injured to the Bijapur district hospital where one of them succumbed to his injuries during treatment, the official said.
"The deceased was identified as Dubbak Anna, a native of Pusgudi village," he said.
The second man, Yalam Dharmaiyya –a resident of the same village –is undergoing treatment at the hospital, the official said.