Image for representation.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Hyderabad: At least seven Maoists were killed in an intense exchange of fire with security personnel in the Chalpaka forest area of Eturu Nagaram, in Mulugu district of Telangana on Sunday.
The Telangana Greyhounds and the Anti-Maoist Squad conducted the joint operation that resulted in the deaths of the seven Maoists due to heavy firing. Mulugu Superintendent of Police P Shabarish said the identity of the Maoists are yet to be established. However, sources within the police department said that the majority of the seven Maoists killed were Chhattisgarh natives.
The incident occurred during a combing operation in the forest area of Eturnagaram between Greyhounds, an elite anti-Naxal force of Telangana Police and the ultras, police said.
Sources further said the Maoists who were killed include Kursam Mangu alias Bhadru - a 35-year-old native of Cheramangi in the Bijapur District of Chhattisgarh. Bhadru is the Secretary of Telangana State Committee (Yellandu Narsampet) of the banned CPI (Maoist). Others captured include Egolapu Mallaiah - a 43-year-old resident of Peddapalli District in Telangana, 22-year-old Mussaki Deval from the Bijapur District in Chhattisgarh, Mussaki Jamuna from the Porrowada village of Bairamgarh.
There was also Jaisingh, 25, from the Indravathi area; Kishore, 22, from Pompad village in the Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh and Kamesh, 23, of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh.
"Seven Maoists were killed in the exchange of fire", a senior police official said, adding two AK 47 rifles were among the weapons seized from the scene.
(With PTI inputs)