Telangana: Six Maoists killed in encounter

Hyderabad: In a major anti-Maoist operation, six cadres of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), including two women, were killed in an exchange of fire with police in the Bhadradri Kothagudem district on Thursday morning. The clash occurred in the forest area of Mothe village under Karakagudem police station limits, officials said.

The incident took place around 6:45 am when a police patrol was ambushed by armed Maoist cadres who opened indiscriminate fire. Two commandos from the Greyhounds, the elite anti-Naxal force of the Telangana Police, were injured in the firefight. Both have been shifted to a hospital and are reported to be in stable condition, according to the police.

A senior police official stated that the Maoists did not heed warnings to cease fire, prompting the police to return fire in self-defence.

After the gunfire ceased, the police discovered the bodies of six Maoist cadres, dressed in olive green attire. Weapons, including two AK-47 rifles, one SLR, one .303 rifle, a pistol, and several rounds of ammunition, were recovered from the scene.

The police believe that the Maoists, part of the Bhadradri Kothagudem-Alluri Sitharamaraju Divisional Committee, had crossed into Telangana from Chhattisgarh.

Combing operations were intensified in the area following intelligence inputs. Investigations are ongoing, and the identities of the deceased Maoists are yet to be confirmed.