Maoist action team member killed in encounter at Bhadradri Kothagudem

Hyderabad: A CPI Maoist action team member was killed in an encounter with security forces at Devallagudem forest area in Bhadradri Kothagudem district on Thursday.

Though the identity of the slain has not been established, police believe that he could be from neighboring Chhattisgarh state.

Official sources said police and special teams received a tip-off about the movement of Maoist cadres in the Devallagudem forest area of Bhadradri Kothagudem district. A search operation was immediately launched in the area.

However, security forces came under heavy fire from Maoist cadres. Forces immediately retaliated and in the ensuing 'exchange of fire' that went on for more than an hour, one of the Maoist members were killed, However, his associates managed to flee from the spot.

It is suspected that he is an action team member of CPI Maoist. Police also suspect that some of them might have been injured in the exchange of fire. A massive search and combing operation has been launched to nab the injured persons if any.

Police said nobody from the security forces was injured in the encounter.

There have several encounters between police and Maoist cadres in Komaram Bheem, Asifabad, and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts since July. Since then the state police have been put on high alert and combing operations have been intensified. DGP Telangana M Mahender Reddy also visited the sensitive areas and reviewed the security situation.