A Central Reserve Police Force personnel was killed and two of his colleagues injured after Naxalites opened fire on a joint team of the Maharashtra Police and paramilitary forces in Gadchiroli district on Sunday evening, IANS reported on Monday. The attack took place in Padiyalmetta forest under Gyarapatti police station limits, The Hindu reported.

CRPF Deputy Inspector General M Dinakaran said the Maoists attacked paramilitary forces at 5.40 pm, and then again at 7.50 pm on Sunday.

“The first attack was attempted around 5.40 pm. It was averted after the troops retaliated,” Dinakaran said. “The attackers fled the scene at that time. However, they returned again around 7.50 pm in large numbers and fired upon our troops. The security forces retaliated, but we lost Constable Manjunath Jakkanavar.”

Dinakaran added that the two injured personnel were airlifted to hospital, along with the body of the deceased jawan.