Assistant Commandant S B Tirkey was killed in the gunfight with Maoists

Bijapur: An officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and another security personnel injured in an encounter with Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district today.

The encounter between CRPF's 168 Battalion and the Maoists took place in a forest area in Bijapur's Usoor block, said Superintendent of Police Kamlochan Kashyup. The area is about 440 km away from state capital Raipur.

According to a statement issued by Inspector General of Police, Bastar range, Sundarraj P, the battalion was on road security duty when Maoists opened fire. The security forces retaliated and a gunfight broke out.

Assistant Commandant S B Tirkey, who was from Jharkhand, was killed in the encounter and another security personnel, Apparao, was injured. The condition of injured personnel is now stable, the statement said.

More forces have been rushed to the area and a combing operation is underway, police said, adding that the situation is under control.