Security forces gun down three Maoists in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: Three Maoists carrying rewards on their heads were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district.

The three Maoists, carrying a net reward of Rs 13 lakh, were killed on Wednesday night in a gunfight with the police and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel.

"The Maoists opened fire at a patrolling team in a jungle. The troopers retaliated, following which the three Maoists were gunned down," Superintendent of Police Prashant Agarwal said on Thursday.

The slain Maoists have been identified as Mahesh Potavi alias Raju (Area Committee member), Rakesh Dugga (Area Committee member/Pallemadi Local Organisation Squad commander) and Ranjit Nureti (Pallemadi Local Organisation Squad deputy commander).

Police recovered one AK-47 rifle, a Self Loading Rifle (SLR) and an INSAS rifle along with other items from the Maoists' possession.

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