Police in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on Friday said security forces had shot dead 28 suspected Maoist rebels in a gun fight.
The battle came days after the country's interior minister warned the insurgents to surrender or face "all-out" assault.
Police had been conducting a search on the border of the Narayanpur and Dantewada districts when the fighting broke out in Abujhmad forest, a remote and sparsely populated area.
A member of the Indian security forces sustained a "minor injury" in the battle, the AFP news agency reported citing Narayanpur district police chief Prabhat Kumar.
He told the agency that the joint operation involved police and other branches of India's security forces, and that it remained ongoing.
The clash is just the latest in the long-running conflict between the government forces and the Maoist militants, as New Delhi escalates its campaign against the rebellion that started nearly 60 years ago.
Indian Interior Minister Amit Shah met citizens of Chhattisgarh last month and warned the insurgents to surrender or face dire consequences.
"Lay down the weapons," he said at the time. "If not, we will launch an all-out campaign and get success."
The minister said India expected the Naxalite rebellion to be completely extinguished by early 2026.