Five naxals were gunned down by security forces in the jungles of Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district in Maoist hotbed Bastar, police said on Saturday.
"The skirmish took place last night between a joint team of District Reserve Group (DRG) and ultras in the jungles of Tuspal and Becha Kilam villages under Chhotedongar police station limits," Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range), S R P Kalluri said.
This is the second biggest encounter in Bastar this month after bodies of six naxals, including three women, were recovered post a gun battle in Dantewada on November 16.
"At least half a dozen cadres of Military Company VI of Maoists were killed in the gun battle at Narayanpur," Kalluri said, tagging the operation as "surgical strike".
DRG teams from Kondagaon and Narayanpur districts had jointly launched the operation into the core areas of Abhujmad -- considered as Maoist den, based on specific inputs, the IG said.
When they reached the jungles of Tuspal and Becha Kilam, the gun battle broke out between both the sides, he said.
Five bodies and as many weapons have been recovered from the spot, he said, adding that no harm was reported to security forces and more details were awaited.
With this, so far as 15 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters in Bastar division this month, the IG added.