The security forces have gunned down at least five Maoists,including three women in Koraput district of Odisha on Wednesday.

The encounter took place when acting on a tip-off, ateam of Special Operations Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) conducteda search operation in the forest area under Padua police station of Koraputdistrict.

According to reports, the Maoists fired at the SOG and DVF men after noticing them and the security personnel retaliated the fire, killing them, the official said.

"Of the five Maoists killed in the encounter, three were women," said a top official. Some sophisticated weapons were also recovered from the Maoists, added the official.