The exchange took place at three locations and lasted two hours, a release by the Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) office said.
The police received intelligence inputs on Sunday afternoon that the Bhamragad Dalam of Maoists set up a camp on the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border near a newly-opened foot overbridge at Kawande in Gadchiroli, it said.
Based on these inputs, an operation comprising approximately 200 commandos of C-60, a specialised police unit tasked with combating Naxal violence, led by Additional SP M Rames was launched on Sunday evening, the release added.
On Monday morning, when the police unit was carrying out the operation, the Maoists started firing at them indiscriminately, leading to a strong retaliation by the C-60 unit. The intermittent exchange of fire with Maoists took place at three locations over a period of two hours.
After the gunfight stopped, the police recovered two weapons — one automatic INSAS rifle and one single-shot rifle — one magazine, several live rounds, detonators, one radio, 3 ‘pitthus’ (sacks used by Maoists), a large amount of Naxal literature and belongings, the statement said.
The C-60 commandos completely destroyed the camp set up by Maoists.
Chances of some Maoists getting injured/killed and being dragged away by others cannot be ruled out, the statement said. PTI COR CLS NP