Nagpur, Nov 19 (IANS): Two women Maoists were killed after a fierce gun-battle in the forests of Gadchiroli district here on Monday, an official said.

According to an official spokesperson, the gun-fight took place when a security team of the CRPF and Anti-Naxal Operations (ANO) was conducting combing operations in the Maoist-infested Nihaikal jungles of the district.

Suddenly, some Maoists hiding there opened indiscriminate fire on the security team, which retaliated and continued to push them deeper inside.

Nearly half an hour later after the gun-battle ended, the security forces launched a search operation and found bodies of two women Maoists sporting army fatigues lying in the vicinity.

One of them has been identified as Babita Narsu Gavde, 28, of Dhanora and a member of a Maoist Platoon No. 15, while the identity of the second woman is yet to be ascertained.

Gavde had 16 major offences registered against her ranging from murder to kidnapping to attacks on security forces and carried a Rs 400,000 reward on her head.

The security forces are continuing a massive combing operation to trace out Maoists who may have been injured or fallen to their bullets in the morning encounter, said the official.