Visakhapatnam: A senior Maoist leader is among 6 Naxals killed in an encounter that took place in Wednesday morning in Visakhapatnam district, while some more leaders are believed to have escaped from the spot, sources have said.
Police are continuing search operations in the area where encounter took place.
Six Maoists were gunned down by Andhra Pradesh Greyhounds police on Wednesday morning at Theegalametta forest area in Visakhapatnam district.
"Today (Wednesday) in the morning hours, an exchange of fire took place between CPI (Maoist) and Greyhounds parties at Theegalametta forest areas (Koyyru surrounding areas)," said an official statement.
The encounter occurred under the police station limits of Mampa, surrounding the Koyyuru area, even as a search operation is underway.
Among the six dead, police said there were female corpses as well.
Andhra Pradesh DGP, Gautam Sawant said that police had launched combing operations in the area after receiving reliable inputs.
The Greyhounds police recovered an AK-47 rifle, a self-loading rifle, one carbine and two more guns from the spot.
In another incidence, a heavy exchange of fire took place between security forces and Maoists in Kulabeda forest in Odisha's Malkangiri district, police said on Wednesday.
Acting on intelligence inputs, the Special Operations Group of the Odisha Police and members of the district voluntary force began an operation in the forest in the Maithili police station area when the gunbattle broke out.
"As a combing operation was underway near Kulabeda village, the Maoists began sudden unprovoked firing. The forces also retaliated after appealing to them to surrender," said Rishikesh Khilari, the superintendent of police of Malkangiri.
However, the Maoists managed to flee taking advantage of the terrain, he said.
Following the gunbattle, a large number of arms and ammunition, including an INSAS rifle, were recovered from the spot, the officer said.
There is credible input that many Maoists are suffering from COVID-19, the officer said, urging them to surrender.
