NARAYANUR: A District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawan of the state police was killed when an improvised explosive device planted by Naxalites went off in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district, officials said.

The incident took place in densely forested Abhujmad area on Wednesday evening when security personnel were returning after a major encounter with Maoists, a senior police official said.

At least 27 Naxalites including Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju (70), general secretary of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), were killed in the encounter which took place in the forests along the border of Narayanpur and Bijapur districts.

While returning, Ramesh Hemla, a jawan belonging to the Bijapur DRG, stepped on a pressure-activated IED, triggering a blast that killed him on the spot, the police official said.

Another DRG member, Khotluram Korram, was killed during the encounter earlier on Wednesday. Korram was a resident of Bhatbeda village in Orchha police station area of Narayanpur.

A wreath-laying ceremony will be held for the two slain jawans at Police Lines, Narayanpur at 12 noon on Thursday and their bodies will be then sent to their respective native places, the official said.