Four security personnel were killed on Wednesday as a large number of armed Naxalites attacked a relief camp in Basaguda village of Bastar region and looted arms, police said.

The Maoists killed three special police officers and a constable and took away five arms, including a light machine gun and a self-loading rifle, besides a walkie-talkie from the Basaguda relief camp, about 550 km from Raipur, in Bijapur district, Superintendent of Police Ratan Lal Dangi told PTI.

About 250 armed Maoists attacked the relief camp, where about 1,000 people had taken shelter due to the Naxal threat following anti-Naxal drives, and opened fire from both sides, he said.

Police have also recovered five petrol bombs from the spot during the search operation.

After the 'Salwa Judum' or peace campaign, the state government had recruited villagers as special police officers and imparted arms training to them.

About 60,000 villagers from over 650 villages have been staying in 19 relief camps in Dantewada and Bijapur districts since the beginning of Salwa Judum on June 6, 2005, in Bastar region, where Naxalites have been active for over two decades.