Ranchi, April 27: Five Maoist guerrillas were killed in a gun battle with security forces near a railway station in Jharkhand, police said Sunday. Three guerrillas were arrested after the incident.

According to the police, around 100 activists of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) were planning to blow up the Koderma railway station. The gun battle took place near Dilwa railway station, also in Koderma district.

The security forces seized rifles and cartridges.

Maoist guerrillas are active in 18 of the 24 districts of Jharkhand. The rebels have killed nearly 1,000 people in the state in the last seven years.