Two Maoists killed in Vizag encounter

Visakhapatnam: In a fierce exchange of fire, two Maoists were killed by Greyhounds and special party police between Valakapudi and Devulapadu villages in Puttakonda forest area under Koyyuru police station limits in the Vizag Agency on Sunday.

This is the first gun battle between the rebels and the police this year. There was an exchange of fire in December last year in Gennela area. The security forces recovered two DB guns and two kit bags at the spot.

The dead ultras said to be the members of the Galikonda Area Committee of the banned CPI (Maoist) group. The bodies of the two male Maoists were found at the site of gun battle and they are yet to be identified.

Visakha Rural SP Koya Praveen said that the gun battle ensued when the combing security forces and the rebels came to face-to-face and a 15-minute exchange of fire took place.

Police sources said a group of Maoists entered the area to appeal the local youth to join them to fight against the proposed bauxite mining in V‘izag Agency.

The security forces, who were tipped off about the group’s presence in the areas, began massive combing the forest and killed the two activists in the exchange of fire.