Bijapur | One Naxalite, carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh, was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Friday, a police official said.

The exchange of fire broke out this morning in the forest of Aadwada-Kotmeta under Bhairamgarh police station area when a team of District Reserve Guard was out on an anti-Naxalite operation based on the presence of Maoist cadres in the area, he added.

After the gun-battle ended, the body of a Naxalite along with one .303 rifle, a 9MM pistol, explosive materials was recovered from the encounter site, he said.

The killed cadre was identified as Fagnu Madvi (35), who was active as a member of Bhairamgarh area committee of Maoists and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh, he said.

Besides, two scanner sets, radio, medical kit, cordex wire, Maoist bag, pamphlets and other items were also seized from the spot, he said.

Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam said due to the effective and coordinated actions of the security forces, Maoism in Bastar is now breathing its last. The entire structure of the Maoist organization has crumbled.

Pattilingam appealed to all active Maoists to abandon the path of violence and take advantage of the government's surrender and rehabilitation policy.

With the latest action, 285 Naxalites have been killed in encounters in Chhattisgarh so far this year.

Of them, 256 were eliminated in the Bastar division, comprising seven districts, including Bijapur a, while 27 others were gunned down in Gariaband district, which falls in the Raipur division. Two Naxalites were killed in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district in Durg division.

On Thursday, 3 Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Sukma district of Bastar region.