Hyderabad:
Seven Maoists, including a top commander, were killed during an encounter with cops in Telangana’s Mulugu district this morning, a week after they killed two tribal men accusing them of being police informers. The encounter broke out in Chalpaka forests between the Maoists and the elite anti-Maoist Greyhounds force around 5:30 am, said police.
The Greyhounds had spotted the Maoist group during combing operations and ordered them to surrender. They, however, fired at the commandos, forcing the cops to fire back in return.
Bhadru alias Kursam Mangu alias Papanna, 35, Yellandu-Narsampet area committee commander of the CPI (Maoist) and a member of its Telangana State Committee, was among those killed.
Six other Maoists killed in the encounter were identified as Egolapu Mallaiah, 43, Mussaki Deval, 22, Mussaki Jamuna, 23, Jai Singh, 25, Kishore, 22, and Kamesh 23, who were being led by Bhadru.
They were armed with AK-47, G3, and INSAS rifles besides other weapons.