Gaya, June 11: Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel today found two bodies of suspected Maoists in the forested hilly region of Barha-Chhakarbandha under Dumaria police station after an intensive search operation.

The operation was launched on Sunday after a four-hour-long encounter between security forces and the rebels. A CRPF jawan was killed and seven security personnel —five CRPF jawans, a Special Task Force (STF) jawan and an additional superintendent of police — were injured in the exchange of fire.

CRPF deputy inspector-general Umesh Kumar told The Telegraph that the situation in the area was normal at present. “The security forces have been withdrawn and regular area domination exercise will continue for sometime. Two bodies of suspected Maoists were found from the encounter site after the operation,” he said.

“The bodies have, however, not been identified yet,” said CRPF 159 battalion second-in-command Chhote Lal.

Sources said the Maoist guerrilla army jawans usually don uniforms.

But sources said the two bodies that have been recovered were clad in loincloth and t-shirts raising posers on the CRPF claim.

The security personnel have also not been able to recover any firearm, explosive, empty cartridge, uniform, Naxalite literature or dig out any landmine during the search operation.

Police had claimed yesterday that at least six Maoists were also killed in the four-hour-long encounter. However, additional director-general of police, headquarters, Ravindra Kumar said the security forces gunned down two rebels during the exchange of fire.

The encounter occurred between the security men and the Maoists after the CRPF, STF and Gaya police personnel launched a joint combing operation in the forests following a tip-off that a large number of rebels had gathered in the area. On seeing the force approaching the area, the Maoists triggered a landmine explosion around 6.30am near Karmathan under Dumaria police station.

CRPF jawan Sachindra Sharma, who was following an anti-landmine vehicle on a motorcycle, was seriously hurt in the blast and later succumbed to his injuries. The anti-landmine vehicle of the security personnel was also damaged in the explosion.

As the security personnel advanced further, the Maoists triggered another blast around 10am at Barha Chhakarbandha forests. Two SUVs of the security personnel were damaged in the explosion. The Maoists fired at the force and the security personnel retaliated. The encounter continued till 2pm.