Dantewada (Chhattisgarh), Mar 15 : A Maoist ‘commander’ and a ‘deputy commander’ – both females – were eliminated during an exchange of fire with personnel of the CRPF and the District Reserve Group on Tuesday afternoon between Gorli and Mutheli in Katekalyan Police Station limits on the Dantewada-Sukma district border within Left-wing extremism-affected Bastar division. “Following a tip-off regarding rebel presence in the forested area adjoining Jiyakortha, Gorli, Mutheli and Danikortha villages; a detachment was dispatched. The deceased were identified as Local Operations Squad ‘Cdr’ Punem and ‘Dy Cdr’ Muchaki Gangi. A couple of 12-bore rifles, a country-made gun, explosives and camping gear were seized on the scene. As some ultras are suspected to have been injured in the encounter, a search is underway in the surroundings,” Inspector General (Bastar Range) Sundarraj Pattilingam confirmed. XC-AC