Ranchi, Aug 12 - Two cops were shot dead by Maoist rebels in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand, police said Wednesday.

According to the police, the cops from Dhanbad district, which is around 260 km from Ranchi, went to the local market Tuesday night. Maoist rebels belonging to the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) fired at them in the market. Both died on the spot.

The killed cops were assistant sub-inspector Nirmal Kumar and constable Deepak Bawari.

Senior police officials including Superintendent of Police Manoj Kausik rushed to the Maniadih police picket in the area Wednesday morning.

Maoist guerrillas are active in 18 of the 24 districts in Jharkhand. Nearly 1,500 people have been killed in Maoist-related violence in the last eight years.