Ranchi, Feb. 19: Four Naxalites, including a woman militant, were killed in an encounter between security forces and Maoists at a village bordering Nawadih jungle near here late Thursday night, a police officer said on Friday.
The encounter took place at Ghagrabeda village, about 35km from Ranchi, on Ranchi-Jamshedpur National Highway-33 on Thursday night, superintendent of police (rural) Raj Kumar Lakra said.
Lakra said two policemen who sustained injuries, were airlifted to Ranchi at midnight where they were undergoing treatment. Their condition was stated to be out of danger.
Acting on a tip-off about the movement of a group of Naxalitess who had assembled in the jungle, security personnel comprising district armed police and CRPF rushed to the spot, Lakra said.
The rebels opened fire on them and the security personnel retaliated killing four Naxalites including the woman, he said, adding that the bodies have been recovered and two SLRs and two 303 rifles were recovered.
Some other Naxalites were suspected to have sustained injuries in the encounter, which lasted for a couple of hours, but managed to escape, Lakra said, adding that a massive search operation was launched this morning to trace them.