In a major showdown in Telangana’s Mulugu district, seven Maoists, among them a top commander, were killed in an early morning encounter with the police. The encounter occurred on the morning of December 1 at the dense Chalpaka forests, which have been a decisive blow to Maoist insurgency efforts in the region.
The shootout occurred around 5:30 AM between the special Greyhounds force, specially trained to combat Maoist rebels, and a group of armed Maoists. As reported by police, they were carrying out combing operations when they came across the Maoist outfit. The officers asked them to surrender, but in return, the Maoists resorted to firing. The law enforcement officers reacted by returning fire.
The meeting went on for several hours, and the Maoists left dead, seven of them. The deceased included Bhadru, alias Kursam Mangu, a senior CPI (Maoist) ranker and the commander of the Yellandu-Narsampet area committee. Bhadru was 35 years old, and he was a senior ranker in the Maoist’s Telangana State Committee. He had been in the region for years.
Identification Of Maoists
Apart from Bhadru, the police reported to have killed six other Maoists during the encounter: Egolapu Mallaiah (43), Mussaki Deval (22), Mussaki Jamuna (23), Jai Singh (25), Kishore (22), and Kamesh (23). They claimed to be under Bhadru’s command and possessed heavily armed AK-47, G3, INSAS rifles, explosives, and other weapons. These arms, along with other confiscated items, are now in police custody for further investigation.
Maoist Activities In Mulugu District
It marks the first major Maoist encounter in Mulugu district for quite some time. In recent times, this region has been witnessing attempts by the rebels to regroup and reorganize themselves and make a comeback, so the operation is an important achievement for the authorities. The Maoist movement in Telangana has been a persistent challenge with sporadic violence and attempts to disrupt peace.
The shootout comes a week after the tragic murder of two tribal men, Uika Ramesh and Uika Arjun, in Mulugu. The Maoists had killed them, accusing them of being police informers, and left a note claiming they had been gathering intelligence for state agencies. Their deaths again highlighted the continued tension between Maoist insurgents and local communities, who are often caught in the crossfire.
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