Hyderabad, May 21 -- At least 27 outlaws of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) were reportedly killed in an encounter with the security forces in Madh area of the Abujhmad forests in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh in an operation which is still underway.

The Maoist party general secretary, Nambala Keshava Rao alias Baswaraj, has also reportedly been killed in the fierce encounter that stretched for more than 72 hours.

Other top commanders were known to have been killed in the encounter. However, their identities are yet to be released by the Chhattisgarh government sources.

Chhattisgarh Home minister Vijay Varma has confirmed the number of Maoists killed as 28, and that more were believed to have been injured in the joint anti-...