Two CRPF jawans have been killed during an encounter between the Maoists and the police at Laxmantola in Giridih district, a senior police officer said on Friday.

The Maoists, who were observing a 24-hour north Chhotanagpur bandh yesterday, fired at a police patrolling team, last night at Laxmantola, superintendent of police, M L Meena, said.

In the ensuing encounter that lasted over two hours, the two jawans, identified as Sriram Singh of Uttarakhand [Images] and Vijendra Singh of Haryana, received bullets.

While Sriram Singh died on the spot, Vijendra Singh succumbed to his injuries on way to a hospital in Dhanbad, Meena said.

There was no trace of any casualty on the Naxal side when the police searched the area after the Naxalites [Images] retreated, Meena said. The bandh had been imposed in the Chhotanagpur region by the Maoists in protest against the killing of three Naxalites during an encounter in Hazaribag district last week.