Hyderabad: Seven Maoists were killed in an encounter with the Greyhounds, an elite anti-naxal force of Telangana Police, in the Eturnagaram Chalpaka forest area on the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border on Sunday.
The encounter took place during a combing operation, police said. A search operation is underway in the area, the officials added. "Seven Maoists were killed in the exchange of fire", a senior police official said, adding two AK 47 rifles were among the weapons seized from the scene.
The deceased were identified as Kurusam Mangu alias Bhadru alias Papanna (35), Egolapu Mallaya alias Madhu (43), Mussaki Deval alias Karunakar (22), Mussaki Jamuna (23), Jaisingh (25), Kishore (22) and Kamesh (23). Kursam Mangu was Secretary of Telangana State Committee (Yellandu Narsampet) of the banned CPI (Maoist), police said.
Sources said there were inputs about the presence of big Naxal leaders in the forests under Chalpaka forest area of Ithurunagaram Mandal in Mulugu district of Telangana.
As a contingent of security forces was sent to search in the Telangana border area, Naxalites started firing on them in the forests of Tadvaya Mandal and Chelapaka. The soldiers immediately took charge and gave a befitting reply by taking strong retaliatory action.
On November 22, Maoists had killed two individuals including a Panchayat Secretary in the same district. Earlier in September, security forces had neutralised six Maoists in the forest area near Raghunathapalem in Karakagudem Mandal of the southern state.
Amid increased Maoist activity, especially on the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border in the recent past, Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Jitender chaired a key meeting with top security brass last month urging them to work in tandem with their Chhattisgarh counterparts
The DGP presided over a review meeting with the police officials of Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mulugu and Jayashankar Bhupalpally districts on November 11.
Who are Greyhounds?
The Greyhounds is an elite anti-Maoist force of the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Police Forces. It was raised in 1989 to counter the Maoist threat in the Andhra belt. Greyhounds are trained in counter-insurgency operations against Naxalites and Maoists.
This special force operates in small units (typically 15 to 30 commandos) for carrying out combing exercises in the jungles, especially those bordering the nearby Chhattisgarh.
The commandos of Greyhounds are young (usually under 35 years) since they are expected to possess the physical endurance to survive in tough conditions including surviving on dry ration for several days in the jungle. This is because the smoke from burning a fire to cook food can give up their position during operations. A Greyhounds commando crossing 35 is usually transferred to civil police.
Read More:
