Bijapur | A senior Maoist leader carrying Rs 40 lakh bounty was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Thursday, official sources said.

According to the sources, Maoists' Central Committee member Gautam alias Sudhakar was gunned down in the latest gunfight, which comes days after CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju was killed by security forces in the Bastar region, dealing a major blow to the armed movement.

However, Sudhakar's death is yet to be officially announced.

The exchange of fire broke out in the forest of Indravati national park area when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation based on inputs about the presence of senior cadres, a senior police official posted in Bastar Range told PTI.

Personnel belonging to the Special Task Force, District Reserve Guard, both units of the Chhattisgarh police, and CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action - an elite unit of CRPF) were involved in the operation, he said.

The offensive was launched based on inputs about the presence of Maoist leader Sudhakar, Telangana State Committee member Bandi Prakash, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) member Pappa Rao, and a few other armed cadres, the official said.

"Preliminary reports suggest a strong possibility of major success for security forces in the operation," he said.

Search operations were still underway in the area and more details will be shared later, he added.