Bhubaneswar, Feb. 20 -- Five Naxalites were killed on Friday as security forces launched 'Operation Black Forest-2' in the Karregutta forest area along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, officials said.

The large-scale anti-Maoist operation was initiated following intelligence inputs about the presence and possible gathering of Maoist cadres in the forested region. On the first day of the offensive, security personnel engaged in an exchange of fire, resulting in the deaths of five Naxalites. Their identities had not been established at the time of filing this report.

A substantial quantity of explosives was also seized during the ongoing operation.

More than 2,000 security personnel have been deployed for the operation, which is focuse...