The zonal commander of banned outfit People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) was killed in an encounter with paramilitary forces under Gudri thana area in West Singhbhum district about 180 km away from here on Friday night.

The slain PLFI zonal commander, Sanichar Surin, 38, was carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head.

The encounter took place at Badakesel jungle under rebel-infested Gudri thana area bordering Khunti district at about 9.30 pm.

Additional superintendent of police, West Singhbhum, Umesh Kumar confirmed the killing of Sanichar Surin in an encounter with the police and paramilitary forces.

"Sanichar Surin who was zonal commander of the outlawed PLFI and was carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head has been gunned down in an encounter with the police and paramilitary forces in Gudri thana area on Friday late night. A police contingent led by West Singhbhum SP, Ajay Linda, which had gone to Gudri for carrying out a joint operation with the neighbouring Khunti police is yet to return," said Kumar to The Telegraph Online.

The additional SP said the police and paramilitary forces had conducted a combing operation in the Badakesel jungle where the encounter took place. He said, therefore, it is still not clear whether the police have recovered any firearms or anything from the encounter site.

According to police sources, police in Rania thana area of the Khunti district came to know about the PLFI squad's presence in a jungle near Pending village on the Khunti-West Singhbhum border on Friday evening.

"On getting the information, the Khunti police carried out an operation causing an encounter at Pending jungle. But the rebels had retreated in the face of superior firepower of the paramilitary forces. By that time, the police and paramilitary forces from the West Singhbhum also joined the Khunti police and carried out a search operation," said a senior police officer.

Later in the night when the search operation was still on, the police and paramilitary forces were shot at from the adjoining Badakesel. In retaliation, the police and paramilitary forces opened fire, causing one of the rebels to get killed.

The police officer said the identity of the killed rebel could be established on Saturday morning.