The outlawed CPI (Maoist) suffered a major setback in Telangana’s tribal heartland of Mulugu district with seven of its cadres, including its State committee member Kursam Mangu alias Badru, being killed in an alleged exchange of fire with the police at Pulakomma forest area in Eturnagaram mandal early on Sunday (December 1, 2024) morning.
The exchange of fire took place between a group of armed Maoists and police who were out on a combing operation to prevent untoward incidents ahead of the CPI (Maoist)’s People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) week celebrations to be held from December 2, police said.
The incident, considered one of the biggest encounters in recent times in Telangana, inflicted a severe jolt to the CPI (Maoist)’s Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Warangal and Peddapalli (JMWP) division committee.
The police identified the deceased Maoists as JMWP DVC member Mangu alias Badru, district committee member Aegolapu Mallaiah alias Koti, area committee members Jamuna and Karunakar. The identity of three more slain Maoists could not be ascertained immediately.
The police recovered two AK-47 rifles, one G-3 rifle, one INSAS rifle, one .303 rifle, one tapancha and several kit bags from the incident site.
The encounter comes eight days after the Maoist rebels allegedly hacked to death two villagers including a gram panchayat secretary at Penugolu colony in Wazedu mandal of the same district.
Since then, the police have been maintaining an intense vigil in the Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas along the restive border with Chhattisgarh’s south Bastar division to foil attempts by Maoists to regain a foothold in Telangana’s border villages.
Published – December 01, 2024 08:15 pm IST
