Six Maoists killed in gunfight in Telangana, two security forces injured
- In Reports
- 05:56 PM, Sep 06, 2024
- Myind Staff
Six Maoists, including two women, were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana, on Thursday morning. The encounter took place around 6:45 am in the Neeladrigutta forest area, which borders Chhattisgarh.
Two commandos from the Greyhounds, Telangana's elite anti-Maoist force, were injured during the clash. They have been hospitalised, but their injuries are not life-threatening, according to police officials.
Bhadradri Kothagudem Superintendent of Police (SP) B Rohit Raju reported, “Six Maoists were killed, and two security personnel were injured in the exchange of fire.” He added that a large cache of arms and ammunition was seized from the site. The identities of the slain Maoists are being verified, and their bodies have been moved to Kothagudem government hospital for post-mortem examination.
Another police officer, speaking anonymously, mentioned that one of the deceased was Lachanna, the Palvancha-Manuguru-Karakagudem divisional committee commander of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). Lachanna, a native of Rayapadu in Chhattisgarh, had a ₹10-lakh reward on his head and had 50 cases registered against him at various police stations.
This encounter is noted as the second largest since Telangana’s formation in 2014, following the Jayashankar Bhupalpally encounter in March 2018, where 10 Maoists were killed.
The gunfight follows a major operation in Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh, earlier this week, where security forces neutralised nine Maoists, including a top cadre known as Macherla Esobu. Esobu, who was also known by aliases such as Jagan, Dada Randev, and Randhir, had a ₹25-lakh bounty on his head and hailed from Tekulagudem in Telangana’s Hanamkonda district.
“In the wake of intensifying operations by the security forces in the name of Operation Kagar in the forests of Chhattisgarh, some Maoist cadres are trying to enter the border areas in search of a safe zone,” the anonymous officer said. “In the present instance, a group of Chhattisgarh-based armed Maoist rebels might have crossed over the forest border into Telangana, which led to Thursday’s encounter.”
Image source: PTI
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