Six members of the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh and a police informer were killed and seven other STF jawans injured when the dreaded Thokia gang dacoits fired at them near Kusumhia forests.

The dacoits opened indiscriminate fire on the jeep in which the jawans were returning after an encounter with the gang late on Sunday night, police sources in Chitrakoot said.

The deceased were identified as Rajesh Chauhan, Uma Shankar Yadav, Brajesh Yadav, Girja Nagar, Luxman, Iswar (all STF jawans) and Munna (informer).

The bodies were been brought to Kotwali in neighbouring Banda district and senior police officials, including DGP Vikram Singh, rushed to Banda from Lucknow.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh each to the deceased jawans, sources said.

The STF had on Sunday evening killed a member of the Thokia gang in an encounter near the forests.

Thokia carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh on his head.