Kolkata, Sep 2 - Two Maoists were killed in a gun battle with security forces in West Bengal's West Midnapore district, police said Wednesday.

The shooting took place when a joint patrol of central paramilitary forces and the state police were marching in the forest area of Kadashol.

'Two Maoists were killed in the firing and two squad members were arrested by the central forces today (Wednesday),' state Inspector General (Law and Order) Surajit Kar Purakayastha told IANS.

'No one from the security forces was injured in the gun battle,' he said.

The state government, with assistance from the central forces, had launched a massive security operation June 18 to flush out Leftist extremists who had virtually made areas in and around Lalgarh in the neighbouring West Midnapore district a 'free zone' since November last year.

However, despite the nearly two-month-long security operation, the Maoist activities have been going on unabated, with several ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) cadres and tribals being killed.