Six Naxals killed in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district

GADCHIROLI, Maharashtra: Six Naxals, including two women cadres, were killed in an encounter in the wee hours of today near here in eastern Maharashtra, police said.

The exchange of fire took place in the forests near Govindgaon village in Aheri taluka of the district, about 200 km from Nagpur, in south eastern Vidarbha.

A police team was on a routine anti-Naxal operation in the jungles of Govindgaon last night when they were fired upon by the rebels.

The patrolling party returned fire and in the ensuing gunfight at least six Maoists, including two women, were killed, police said, adding they are yet to be identified.

All the bodies have been brought to Aheri police headquarters in the district, they said.

The encounter continued for a few hours and ended at around 2.30 am, according to reports received here. Some senior members of a local dalam (armed unit) may be among those killed, police said.

This is the first time that so many Naxals have been killed in Gadchiroli, the district worst affected by Left-wing extremism in the state.