Andhra Pradesh: Seven suspected Maoists killed in gunfight with security forces

Seven suspected members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Wednesday, The Hindu reported.

This came a day after Madvi Hidma, one of the most wanted Maoist leaders, and five others were killed in the same district.

The police had said on Tuesday that some Maoists had fled the site of the earlier gunfight and that a search was underway to apprehend them.

Those killed on Wednesday were four men and three women, The Times of India reported.

Additional Director General of Police Mahesh Chandra Laddha told the newspaper that one of those killed was Metturi Joga Rao, also known as Tech Shankar, who was in charge of the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee.

The police said he was known for assembling improvised explosive devices and for developing several mines in the region.

The identities of the others are still being verified.

Laddha told The Hindu that Wednesday’s gunfight took place in the Maredumilli forests at around 7 am and was still underway.

Separately, the Andhra Pradesh Police arrested 50 other persons suspected to be Maoists who had travelled from Chhattisgarh and Telangana, Laddha told ANI.

He said that among those arrested were three state committee members, five divisional committee members and 17 area committee members.

“All are active members of the Maoist organisation,” the police officer...

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