Raipur: At least 10 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district on Thursday, a police official said. Police sources said Modem Balakrishna, a senior leader and Central Committee Member (CCM) of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), is among the deceased. The gunfight broke out in the forest under Mainpur police station limits when security personnel were out on an anti-Naxalite operation, Raipur Range Inspector General of Police Amresh Mishra said.

"Personnel belonging to the Special Task Force (STF - a unit of the Chhattisgarh police), E-30 (a unit of the district police), CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action - an elite unit of the CRPF) and other state police units were involved in the operation. Intermittent exchange of fire is still underway," the IGP said. "Ten Naxalites, including senior cadres, have been gunned down so far," he said, adding that further details were awaited as the operation was still underway.

According to police, the operation was launched based on the inputs about the movement of top Naxalites in the area, located over 180 km away from capital Raipur.

Police sources said Modem Balakrishna, also known by his aliases Balanna, Ramachander and Bhaskar, was the secretary of the Odisha State Committee (OSC) and had joined the movement in early 1980s.