Raipur, Jan 9 (Inditop.com) Four Maoists were gunned down and several guns and explosives recovered when the police raided a forest hideout Saturday in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district.

“A joint contingent of COBRA (specialized force in anti-Maoist operations) and others busted the hideout in Surpangunda hamlet and shot dead four armed guerrillas,” Superintendent of Police Amresh Mishra told IANS.

Dantewada is located some 500 km south of capital Raipur.

He said police recovered a 12 bore gun, three muzzle loading guns, two containers filled with explosives, a grenade and a huge stock of daily use items.

Officials at police headquarters in Raipur said a total of 217 gunfights took place between police and Maoists in 2009 in the state.