Aurangabad, July 26: The security forces eliminated three Maoists in an encounter in a forest in Bihar on Thursday, police said. Firing was exchanged between CPI(Maoist) cadre and a joint team of the CRPF’s CoBRA squad and the Special Task Force (STF) of the police around noon in Satandiya jungles under Deo police station limits, said reports. The security forces had busted the Maoist camp in Bihar's Gaya.

The joint operation was launched after a tip off was passed to the police that Maoist leader Abhijeet Yadav’s gang was likely to meet in Satandiya jungles. Maoists Attack BJP Convoy in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada, MLA Bhima Mandavi Among Six Killed.

However, there were conflicting accounts given by the CRPF officials and the state police. While the CRPF officials said the encounter took place in a forest area in Gaya district, state police claimed the spot of the gunfight was in adjoining Aurangabad district. After Maharashtra, Seven Maoists in Chhattisgarh Near Telangana Border shot dead by Security Forces.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Operations) Rajesh Kumar Singh said that while three Maoists were killed, several others managed to escape and a search operation is underway to find the Maoists on the run.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 26, 2019 09:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).