Raipur, March 22 (IANS) Maoist guerrillas who had called for a 48-hour shutdown in six states from Monday, including in Chhattisgarh, fought gun battles with police at three separate locations in their stronghold Bastar region of the state, police said.

A gun battle broke out in Bastar district's Mardum area when armed guerrillas opened fire on a joint-contingent of the district force (DF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Bastar district Superintendent of Police, P. Sundaraj claimed that four guerrillas were killed in the gun battle but sources at the police headquarters here said police failed to recover a single body of the ultras but three rebels were captured with some arms and ammunition.

Two other gun battles between the police and the Maoists were reported from forested stretches of Narayanpur and Bijapur districts, respectively.

Reports coming in from the restive Bastar region, spread over about 40,000 sq km area, say the rebels' shutdown had failed to make much impact in Bastar though transporters kept their vehicles off road from the interiors fearing attacks.