Vijayawada: At least six Maoists, including two women, were killed in an exchange of fire with a Greyhound special forces unit in Visakhapatnam district on Wednesday, Andhra Pradesh Police said.
Six members, including three women, of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) were killed in the alleged exchange of fire with the elite Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh Police, while a fierce gunbattle took place between security forces and Maoists in neighbouring Odisha’s Malkangiri district.
The dead included the district committee commander Sande Gangaiah, they said. So far, five of the dead Maoists have been identified while the identity of a woman cadre is yet to be established, according to Visakhapatnam district Superintendent of Police B Krishna Rao.
Five of the slain Maoists were identified as: Ranadev alias Arjun and Sande Gangiah alias Ashok, both divisional committee members (DCM), Santu Nachika, an area committee member (ACM), Lalitha and Paike, both primary members.
“The body of the remaining female Maoist is yet to identified,” the SP said and added that the police had seized an AK-47 rifle, a self-loading rifle (SLR), a carbine, three .303 rifles and a country-made weapon along with extremist literature, kit bags and explosive material from the site.