A Naxalite was killed on Saturday in an encounter with security forces near Tumalpad village in the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, police said, adding, the clash occurred early in the morning in the dense jungle on a hill, within the Chintagufa police station area.

The encounter happened while a joint team of security personnel was conducting an anti-Naxalite operation, Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said, PTI reported.

The operation involved personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Bastar Fighters, both units of the state police and district force, he said.

He added that after the exchange of fire stopped, the body of the Naxalite was recovered along with a weapon and a large cache of Maoist-related materials from the site.

“The identity of the deceased Naxalite is yet to be ascertained and a search operation is still underway in the area,” he added.

With this incident, security forces have now killed a total of 154 Naxalites in separate encounters across the Bastar division this year. This region includes seven districts, including Sukma, police said.