An encounter broke out between commandos of CRPF's elite unit and Naxalites on Wednesday when the security personnel were descending from a helicopter in the south Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, officials said.

The exchange of fire took place on the border of Bijapur-Sukma districts adjoining Telangana in the morning and the guns fell silent when Naxalites escaped from the spot. Commandos were unharmed, while effort was on to gather information about the loss caused to Naxalites, they said.

“Operations are being continuously carried out against Naxalites in the bordering area of Bijapur-Sukma (Chhattisgarh)-Telangana. In this line, a unit of the CRPF's CoBRA's battalion was being dispatched to a forward operating base in a chopper,” a statement issued by the office of Inspector General, CRPF's Chhattisgarh sector, said.

The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) is an elite anti-naxal unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

"When the team was descending from the helicopter, an encounter broke out between CoBRA commandos and Naxalites. On finding that security personnel were zeroing on them, Naxalites escaped. No harm was reported to the CoBRA commandos and effort was on to gather information about the loss caused to Naxalites in the incident. A search operation was underway in the area,” it added.

According to a senior state police official, the helicopter landed in the Elmagunda area in Sukma district where a camp of security forces is located.