Police kill 2 Naxals in India's Chhattisgarh

NEW DELHI, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Two Naxals were killed in a fierce gunfight with police Saturday in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said.

The gunfight between Naxals and police broke out in the forest area of Koyalibeda area in Kanker district, about 220 km south of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.

According to police, the gunfight broke out after police launched a search operation in the forest area after receiving intelligence information about the presence of Naxals.

"The gunfight took place in the morning in the forest area when a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of police was out on an anti-Naxal operation. In the stand-off, two Naxals were killed," a senior police official P Sundarraj told media.

Police said two rifles have also been recovered along with arms and ammunition.

Currently, Naxals are active across the central and eastern parts of India.

New Delhi has deployed several companies of its paramilitary forces to take on Naxals in their strongholds.

The insurgency reportedly has claimed hundreds of lives and left thousands of poor inhabitants homeless.