3 Maoists killed in Chattisgarh

Police on Sunday killed three Maoists, including a woman commander, in an exchange of fire with the ultras in insurgency-hit area of Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district.

The encounter took place around 2 pm in a forested hill near Pendori village under Aundhi police station limits when a team of district force was carrying out a search operation in the region, Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police Prashant Agrawal said.

When the patrol team was advancing through the forests of Pendori, it came under heavy firing from a group of ultras leading to a fierce gun-battle, he said. On finding security personnel were zeroing in on them, the ultras fled from the spot, he added.

The woman has been identified as Sameela, a commander rank cadre who was active in Aundhi area.