At least seven suspected Naxals, including three women, were caught after an encounter took place between security forces and the militants in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district last night.
The incident took place near Tekanar village. The firing started after Naxals ambushed a police party who were patrolling near the village where a road was being constructed.
"The firing lasted for 10 minutes. The party returned to Dhanora by 7 am, after conducting a search operation at the spot," Superintendent of Police, Narayanpur, Santosh said.
Earlier this month, the Maoists had set ablaze a tractor and other machines involved in road construction in the district.
The police said that nearly 50 armed Maoists barged in the area and torched the vehicles at construction site after threatening the contractors to stop the work.