Maoists Tuesday ambushed and killed three Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) personnel in a village in the state's Narayanpur district, police said.
The insurgents launched the offensive when the security forces were returning to base following a search operation in villages, where Maoists have held sway for long.
Some other policemen were wounded in the attack.
An unofficial report said about half a dozen rebels were also killed in retaliatory firing by the security forces.
But only one body of a guerrilla was found by police, who believe that the fleeing Maoists took away bodies of the other casualties.
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According to Director General of Police Ramniwas, a joint team of police and CAF personnel was returning after search operations in Kausalnar, Maharabeda and Jharaghati areas when a group of hidden Maoists surprised them.
The dead security personnel were identified as Som Bahadur Thapa, Mahendra Singh and Manoj Singh.
Police said nearly 60 security personnel had gone to search the three areas, about 30 km away from Narayanpur town, in view of Independence Day Thursday.
The Maoists, who are against Independence Day celebrations, ambushed the team with intense firing near Kausalnar.
The bodies of the three security personnel who were killed were brought to the Dhaurai police station from where they would be taken to Narayanpur town before being sent to their native places for cremation.
