An exchange of fire took place between the police and Maoists in Alluri Sitaramaraju district. The encounter happened in the Maredumilli forest. Six Maoists were killed in the operation.
Most wanted Maoist Madvi Hidma was among the dead. Others killed include Hidme’s wife Raje and his followers Malle, Deve, Chelluri Narayana and Tech Shankar. The police began combing operations at 6 am on Tuesday.
Police launched the operation after learning that Maoists were moving near the borders of Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Odisha. Forces were deployed to track their movements across the region.
Hidma was born in Sukma, Chattisgarh, and rose through the ranks in the Bastar region. He became a member of the Maoist central committee at a young age. He was known for planning guerilla attacks. He also served as People Liberation Guerilla Army commander and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee member.
Firing was also reported in Sukma, Chattisgarh. A Maoist was killed near the Erraboru region during a separate exchange of fire. The operation in the area is still underway.
