Bijapur: A Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Sunday, police said. The gunfight took place in a forest near Keshkutul village under Bhairamgarh police station area at around 5.30 am when a team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was out on an anti-Naxal operation, a senior police official told PTI.

The operation was launched based on information about the presence of division supply team commander of Maoists, Kawasi Pandaru, and 15-20 other cadres in Keshkutul-Keshmundi forests, located around 400 km from the state capital Raipur, he said.

After the exchange of fire stopped, the body of a Naxalite, a weapon and explosives were recovered from the spot, the official said.

Search operation was still underway in the area, he added.

With this incident, 80 Naxalites have been killed so far this year in separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, comprising seven districts including Bijapur, according to police.

On April 16, 29 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in the region's Kanker district, police earlier said.

(With Agency Inputs)