Bijapur, Feb 9 (IANS): As many as 12 Maoists were gunned down in a major encounter with security forces in Bijapur's National Park area in Chhattisgarh ahead of the Panchayat elections, police said on Sunday.

Two security personnel were also killed and two others were injured in the encounter that took place near the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border.

According to the information, the encounter between security forces and Maoists is still on. MI-17 helicopter was dispatched from Jagdalpur to evacuate the soldiers injured in the encounter.

“Based on specific information about the presence of armed Maoists at the national park region of Bijapur district, a joint team of security forces comprising District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) left on anti-Maoist operation on Saturday," said a police officer.

He added that the number of Maoists killed may also increase.

This encounter comes a week after eight Maoists were killed in another operation of security forces launched in Bijapur district.

The gunfight in which eight Maoists were killed broke out on January 31 when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Maoist operation.

The security operations come in line with central government's pledge to “end Naxalism” by 2026, which Home Minister Amit Shah had reiterated on January 6 after eight District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans and one driver were killed when their vehicle was blown up by Maoists using an IED in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur.

The blast reportedly took place on the Bedre-Kutru Road in Bijapur district.

The jawans of DRG Dantewada were returning in a Scorpio after a joint operation, the IG said. The joint operation was of Dantewada, Narayanpur and Bijapur, IG Bastar added.

According to Chhattisgarh Police, so far this year, 49 Maoists have been killed in separate encounters in the state. Of them, 33 were killed in the Bastar division comprising seven districts, including Bijapur.

On January 20-21, police said, 16 Maoists were killed in an encounter with security personnel in the state's Gariaband district, which is a part of the Raipur division.

Last year, 219 Maoists were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters in the state, according to the police.