Two Maoists, including a commander who had a Rs 8-lakh bounty on her head, were among three militants killed in a gun battle with security forces in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, reported PTI. The encounter took place during an anti-Maoist operation at around 2.30 pm on a hill near Pendori village under Aundhi police station limits, Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police Prashant Agrawal said.

The police were out on the operation based on specific inputs. The militants ambushed them while they were climbing the hill near Pendori. However, during the encounter, some militants fled.

During the search following the operation, “bodies of three Maoists, including two women clad in uniform besides one SLR rifle, one Insas rifle, one 303 rifle and several rounds of ammunition were recovered from the spot,” Agarwal said. He called the operation a major success.

The two women were identified as Aundhi area committee secretary Sameela Potai, 30, and Rammo, who had a Rs 8-lakh bounty on her head. The third militant is yet to be identified.