9 more bodies of Greyhounds retrieved

Visakhapatnam, Jul 4 (UNI) Nine more bodies of Greyhound Commandos were retrieved by this evening from the boat which had sunk on June 29 in the Balimela Reservoir on the Andhra-Orrisa Border when it came under attack from the CPI Maoists.

According to District Superintendent of Police Akun Sabharwal, the serarch operations for the missing commandos would continue tomorrow also.

The bodies are believed to be in the locked cabin of the boat.

Police strongly suspect the bodies must have been devoured by the crocodiles.

The Greyhound personnel were returing from combing operations to flush out Maoists on the Andhra-Orissa Border when they were attacked.

Thirty five personnel went missing in the incident. So far 19 bodies have been recovered.

The nine bodies recovered today have been airlifted to the Government King George Hospital here for post-mortem.

Of the nine, five have been identified as M Durga Prasad (RI Vijayawada) G Sudhakar Reddy (Dy Commander-Anantapur District), K V Rao , R Ravinaik and Yellamandhayya (constables in Guntur District).

The search was also on in the surrounding forest areas of the reservoir by a large contingent of CRPF and Greyhound Police for the missing men since it is also believed many may have been taken hostage by the naxals.

UNI BSR GM SY VC2057