Police exchange fire with naxalite group

Siddapura(Karnataka), Nov 16 (UNI) A group of four naxalites, including a woman today exchanged fire with a team of Anti-Naxalite squad and escaped in the cover of forests after a brief encounter at Daasikaanu forest area in Ullur Mucchuttu Gram Panchayat in Shankara Narayana police limits in Udupi district.

Inspector General of Police (Western Range) Satyanarayana Rao told newsmen at the encounter spot that no one was injured as no blood stain was found.

On a tip off the district police along with the Anti-Naxalite Squad rushed to the spot only to meet head on the four member gang which opened fire immediately on seeing the police posse. In retaliation the police fired back. The naxalites who was atop of the slope made it easy for them to escape before the police could climb the slope.

Mr Rao said it was rare to see a group of four naxalites prowling on the forests as normally their number would be between 15 to 20.

He said that the combing operations had been intensified following the encounter. Dog squads have also been pressed into action after police recovered a handkerchif and a torch from the spot.

He said that Anti-Naxalite operations were being carried out throughout the Western Ghat forest regions of the state in view of possible attack tomorrow by naxalites to coincide with the third anniversary of the naxalite encounter in Idu forests in which two naxalits were killed and an injured woman naxalite was captured.

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