Three Maoists were killed in an encounter with the police in Khammam district in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

According to the district police, the encounter took place around 11.30 am near Gundalapadu tribal hamlet of Paritala Lanka village in Kukunoor mandal (cluster).

The police said the encounter happened during a combing operation.

When the firing ceased, the police found the bodies of three Maoists, while three other Maoists fled the scene. The police recovered four weapons, including a Springfield rifle and a SBBL gun, from the encounter site.

The police suspect one of the slain Maoists to be Bhaskar alias Naveen, dalam (armed squad) commander of Sabari dalam. The other two Maoists were dalam members.

With Sunday's encounter, the number of left-wing extremists killed in 98 exchanges of fire with the police in the state during the year has risen to 137.