Two Central Reserve Police Force jawans and as many Maoists were killed and nine other securitymen injured in an encounter between the two sides in Balthar forests in Bihar's Maoist-hit Gaya district, a police official said on Monday.
CRPF jawan Sachindra Sharma died in a landmine blast and exchange of fire with the armed Maoists, while another jawan Dhananjaya Kumar suffered a heart attack following the landmine blast triggered by the ultras during the operation that ended late on Sunday night, Inspector General (Operation) Amit Kumar said.
Nine other securitymen, comprising Superintendent of police (Operation) Shabhu Prasad, three STF and five CRPF jawans, sustained injuries and were undergoing treatment at hospitals in Patna, Gaya and Imamganj, he said.
Two Maoists were killed by the security forces and their bodies brought to a hospital in Gaya for post-mortem, Kumar said.
He said the causalities among the Maoists could be much higher as blood stains were found at various points in Balthar forests. Kumar said the security forces detected 85 landmines planted by the ultras to trap advancing forces, but their designs were foiled as only the members of the first advance party bore the brunt of the landmine blasts.
The IG (Operation) said the subsequent teams of the security forces first detected landmines and defused them before moving forward and attacked the ultras with sophisticated arms and explosives.
Kumar said that a combing operation has been launched to nab the Maoists and an area about 50 kms in Gaya and Aurangabad districts bordering Jharkhand's Palamu district sealed.
A chopper has been requisitioned to assist in the combing operation, he said.
