Guns like Insas rifles, .303 rifles, 12 bore gun were found in the Maoist encounter (Representational)
At least seven maoists, including three women, were today gunned down in a fierce encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said.
The incident took place at around 6 am in the forest near Timinar and Pusnar villages along the border of Bijapur and Dantewada districts when a joint team of District Reserve Guard or DRG and Special Task Force was out on an Anti-Maoist operation, state's Deputy Inspector General of Police (anti-naxal operations) Sundar Raj told news agency PTI.
Acting on a tip-off, security forces had launched the operation from Dantewada district in the forest along the border of the two districts, he said.
While they were cordoning off jungles of Timinar and Pusnar villages, located around 450 kms away from the state capital Raipur, in Bijapur, the exchange of fire broke out between the two sides, he said.
"After guns fell silent, bodies of seven maoists, including three women, were recovered from the spot," Mr Raj said.
"Besides, two Insas rifles, two .303 rifles, one 12 bore gun and a few muzzle loading guns were also recovered from the spot," he said.
Further details are awaited as the search operation was still underway in the area, he added.