Eight CISF jawans were killed and nine injured when a large number of heavily-armed Naxalites attacked a sensitive explosive depot of the National Mineral Development Corporation in Dhantewada district of Chattisgarh in the small hours Friday, police said.

"A large number of Maoists attacked the explosive depot of NMDC past midnight at Kirandul, about 550 km from the state capital, and killed eight CISF jawans and injured nine," Dhantewada police sources told PTI.

The Maoists also looted 14 Self Loading Rifles, one 9 mm pistol, two wireless sets and huge amounts of explosive material, including detonators and fuses, stocked by the PSU for its own mining activities, the sources said.