Gadchiroli, (Maharashtra), Jul 8 (IANS): Six Maoists were shot dead in a gunfight with police in the thick Etapally forests in this Maharashtra district Sunday morning, an official said.

"The gunfight took place around 175 km from here in the jungles on the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border area," an official told IANS.

Security forces were on alert following a tip-off on Maoist movements expected in the vicinity since Friday night. The gunfight was sparked off after a police party engaged in combing operations in the area came under attack from the rebels.

Six Maoists were gunned down by the commandoes of C-60 battalion, the official said.

Their bodies have been recovered by the security forces, but their identity has not yet been revealed.

A search of the area also revealed a significant arms cache, which included one carbine, one .303 gun, three home-made rifles, several hand grenades and other items.

Around 170 km from Nagpur, Gadchiroli in eastern Maharashtra's Vidarbha region is one of the worst Maoist-affected districts in the country.