Gadchiroli, Mar 19 (IANS): At least four Maoists who sneaked in from Telangana, carrying varying rewards on their scalps, were reported killed in a fierce shoot-out with the security forces in the forests here on Tuesday, police officials said.

Following a tip-off that a large group of Maoists from a neighbouring state had entered the state with nefarious motives, the Gadchiroli Police’s crack C-60 commandos launched a combing operation in Kolamarka hills of Repanpalli division.

Suddenly, the Maoists hiding in the jungles started shooting indiscriminately at the C-60 teams which also returned the fire in self-defence.

After the encounter stopped, the commandos led by Additional Superintendent of Police (Operations) Yatish Deshmukh carried out a search in the vicinity and came across the bodies of four dreaded Maoists.

The police teams also recovered arms like an AK-47, a Carbine, two country-made pistols, ammunition, Maoist literature and other personal belongings of the deceased.

Officials suspect that the Maoists had slipped into Maharashtra to carry out violence or disruptive activities ahead of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled here in the first phase on April 19, for which the notification will be issued on Wednesday.