Top leaders could be among 10 Naxals killed in Chhattisgarh; one jawan hurt

At least ten Maoists were killed in an encounter with police in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Friday morning, a senior official of the Telangana Police said.

The Naxals were killed in a joint operation by the Telangana and Chhattisgarh Police.

A jawan was also injured in the gunfight which took place in the Pujari Kanker forests under Pamed police station area, around 500 km from Raipur, Bijapur SP Mohit Garg said.

A cache of weapons was recovered from the encounter site, Garg said.

"It was a joint operation by the Chhattisgarh and Telangana Police. Initial reports indicate ten Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire between them and police at around 6.30 AM in Bijapur district.

A clear picture would emerge later, the Telangana police official told PTI.

The bodies are being shifted to a nearby hospital for post-mortem and other formalities, the official said .

The identity of killed Naxals was not immediately known, but security agencies believe some top Naxal leaders could be among those killed, officials said.