Kanker | A police constable and a Naxalite were killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Sunday, a senior police official said.

The gunfight took place in a forest near Hidur village under Chhotebethiya police station when a joint team of security personnel was out on anti-Naxal operation, he said.

The operation was launched based on a specific input about the presence of Naxalites in the Hidur forest, the official said.

Constable Ramesh Kurethi, belonging to Bastar Fighters - a unit of state police, was killed in the gunfight, he said.

The body of a Naxalite and an AK-47 rifle were recovered from the spot, he said.

Search operation was underway in the area, he added.