Six members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday morning, the Hindustan Times reported.

The gunfight broke out at Theegalametta forest area of Koyyuru block. Superintendent of Police, Visakhapatnam, B Krishna Rao, said the Maoists fired upon the security forces who retaliated, according to The Hindu.

The Greyhounds, who are specially trained for anti-Maoist operations, were involved in the gunfight. They were conducting combing operation in the area.

“According to the preliminary information received from the spot, six bodies of Maoists were recovered along with an AK-47 rifle, a SLR [self-loading rifle], a carbine, .303 rifles and a country-made weapon,” an official statement by the Visakhapatnam district police said.

The police added that search operation was still underway and additional police forces were on their way to the site.