The skirmish took place in a forest under Chhotedongar police station limits when a joint team of security forces was on a counter-insurgency operation, Narayanpur Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Soni told PTI.
A composite squad of District Reserve Group (DRG), Special Task Force (STF) and local police had yesterday launched the operation in core pockets of Abhujmad, considered a Maoist den, located about 350 km from here, he said.
Later, during a search, bodies of four rebels, including a woman, and some items were recovered from the spot, he said.
"Head constable Bhuvneshwar Mandavi, belonging to DRG, was also martyred in the incident," Soni said.
Further details are awaited as the police party is yet to reach back to its camp, he added.