By IANS
Raipur : At least three security personnel were critically wounded Monday when a gun battle broke out between Maoist rebels and paramilitary troopers in Chhattisgarh's southern Dantewada district.
The exchange of fire took place in Konta block near the Andhra Pradesh border, over 500 km south of here, when a combing force spotted the militants.
"When we challenged the rebels they opened fire and we retaliated with mortar and guns. The Maoists shot at three security personnel in the two-hour battle," a police officer told IANS.
While two of the wounded were special police officers (SPOs), the third belonged to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
According to police sources, the Maoists also suffered heavy casualties but the extremists carried away the bodies of those killed.
Maoists hold sway in Chhattisgarh's vast interior Bastar region and in certain areas they run a parallel government as well.