Telangana News

23 Maoists in an exchange of fire, were killed in the Malkangiri forest area on the Andhra-Odisha border in the early hours today.

Two constables of Greyhounds, an elite anti-Maoist force, according to AP Police, were injured in the encounter that occurred during a routine combing operation being jointly carried out by police of both the states at Ramgurha in Malkangiri district of Odisha. The injured constables were shifted for treatment to Visakhapatnam by helicopter, the police official added. 

“The operation spot comes under Chitrakonda police limits of Malkangiri. The joint operation was carried out in cut-off areas of Chitrakonda close to the Andhra Pradesh border. We seized some weapons from the Maoists,” ADG (intelligence) of Odisha Arun Sarangi said. 

Revealing further about the operation, Sarangi said, “We had tip-off about movement of the Maoists in the cut-off area. We informed the Andhra Pradesh police for assistance. The bodies will be brought to Chitrakonda for identification and post-mortem.”

After the firing, the police recovered four AK-47 rifles from the encounter spot. According to DGP, there are few more Maoist leaders who are roaming in the region. Sources said that the top Maoist leaders like Gajarla Ravi alias Uday, Bengal Sudhir, Anil , RK alias Saketh's son Munna, Bakuri Venkata Ramana alias Ganesh and others were in the area at the time of the encounter.