India, April 12 -- At least two Maoists were shot dead on Saturday in an ongoing encounter between the security forces and Maoist in the Indravati Tiger Reserve region of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said.

The encounter took place during a joint anti-Maoist operation based on intelligence inputs about Maoist presence in the forested area, an officer said.

The exchange of fire began around 9 am and intermittent firing has continued since then, a statement issued by police read. "Security personnel have so far recovered the bodies of two Maoist cadres, along with weapons and ammunition from the encounter site," the statement further said.

The Maoists are yet to be identified, the officer added.

The search operation is underwa...