Seven Maoists were killed in a new exchange of fire near Tuesday’s encounter site in Maredumilli.
Police identified one of the dead as Tech Shankar, a senior AOB operative with technical responsibilities.
The clash came a day after six Maoists, including Madvi Hidma, were killed in the same forest region.
A day after six Maoists were killed in an encounter at Maredumilli in Andhra Pradesh, seven more were shot dead in a second exchange of fire nearby on Wednesday, PTI reported. Senior police officials said the fresh clash occurred early in the morning in the same forested region of Alluri Sitaramaraju district.
Addressing reporters in Vijayawada, Mahesh Chandra Laddha, ADGP (Intelligence), said that three women were among those who died on Wednesday. “In continuation with Tuesday's operation, seven Maoists have died until now (on Wednesday), according to information received from the field,” he said. Laddha added that the encounter took place about 7 km from Tuesday’s initial exchange of fire site.
According to PTI, the operation began around 7 am and efforts are underway to identify the bodies. One of the dead has been identified as Meturi Jokha Rao, also known as Tech Shankar. Laddha said Shankar, a native of Srikakulam, served as in-charge (CCM) for the Andhra–Odisha Border and specialised in technical tasks, including arms manufacturing and communication.
Based on preliminary information, Shankar had been with the Maoist movement for roughly two decades, and sustained security pressure had pushed him to relocate, Laddha noted. He added that Shankar may have returned to Andhra Pradesh in an attempt to revive the movement.
The fresh encounter followed Tuesday’s gunfight in which six Maoists, including senior naxalite commander Madvi Hidma, were killed. Chhattisgarh Police described Hidma’s death as the “final nail in the coffin” of the insurgency. Officials said Hidma led the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1, considered the Maoists’ strongest military unit in the Dandakaranya region, which extends across parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra and Bastar.
(With inputs from PTI)
