RAIPUR: A gun battle between police and Maoist rebels in India's restive Chhattisgarh state left at least 16 people dead Tuesday, security sources and reports said.

“Sixteen people have so far been killed in the encounter” some 400 kilometres (250 miless) from the state capital Raipur,” a senior police source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

India's CNN-IBN network said that at least 20 security personnel were feared to have died.