Bodies of naxals shifted to Chhattisgarh: Police

Khammam, Andhra Pradesh, Mar 19 (UNI) Superintendent of Police (SP) D S Chauhan today said bodies of 17 CPI (Maoist) Naxals were airlifted by chopper to Dantewada from the Andhra-Chhattisgarh Border where they were killed in an enounter.

Speaking to mediapersons here, Mr Chauhan said 17 Naxals, including six women ultras, were killed in a fierce gun batttle with the police.

An AK 47, two SLRs and more than 300 guns were recovered from the the encounter spots. The identification of the slain Naxals was yet to be completed.

He said the encounter took place during a joint combing operations conducted by the Andhra Pradesh Greyhound Forces and Chhattisgarh Special Police.

The Naxals ignored the warning by the police to surrender and opened fire. The exchange lasted for more than three hours.

The naxals were organising a meeting in the forests to prepare a plan of action to attack police stations when the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, the State Government sounded an alert in the naxal infested and border districts to foil any attack on police stations and persons on hit list.

UNI AP GM MIR HT1952