Eleven, including six women Maoists killed in encounter

Kadapa, Apr 28 (UNI) In a major blow to the Naxals in Andhra Pradesh, eleven Maoists, including six women, were killed in an alleged encounter with Greyhounds, the elite counter insurgency police force, near Sundampalli forests near Rayachoti bordering Kadapa-Chittoor districts today.

A huge cache of arms was seized after the hour-and a-half long encounter. Greyhounds combing the forest area came face to face with the Maoists reportedly belonging to the Kadapa-Anantapur region.

Twenty five kit bags, 38 rockets, one claymore mine, one tin bomb, a sten gun and .303 pistols were seized from the site of the alleged encounter.

Six drums of water at the site indicated that the Maoists were holding a major political camp or arms training course, police said.

Police indicated the deceased Maoists could be top leaders from the Kadapa-Anantapur region of CPI(Maoists) in the state.

Combing was underway to wrap up the other Maoists who had possibly escaped after the encounter, police said.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Police Mr Swaranjeet Sen said that the police received information that about 30 Maoists were camping at Sundampalli forests and 21 had escaped. He had instructed the SPs of both districts to conduct a search of all vehicles.

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