Thirteen Maoists were killed in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli in an operation carried out by the elite C-60 commandos. Gadchiroli DIG Sandip Patil said the police operation was carried out in the forest area.
The encounter started at around 4 am in Paithi jungles under Kotmi outpost of the district.
The Maoists had gathered in the Paithi forest for a meeting, news agency PTI reported. Patil told the news agency that the commandos launched a search operation in the forest on the basis of specific inputs.
“Based on specific inputs, the police party, comprising C-60 commandos, had launched a search operation in the forest,” said Patil.
He added that the Maoists spotted the police party and opened fire forcing the C-60 commandos to retaliate. The 13 slain maoists were all killed in the retaliatory firing.
Ankit Goyal, Superintendent of Police, Gadchiroli, told PTI that the encounter lasted for an hour after which the remaining Maoists escaped into the dense forest. Bodies of the slain Maoists have been recovered and a search operation is on in the nearby areas.