The cache of arms, ammunition, and other equipment recovered from the Maoists at the encounter site. (Photo via X)
New Delhi: In a major encounter between security forces and Maoists in Telangana’s Bhadradri Kothagudem district, on Thursday morning, six Naxalites were killed while two security personnel were injured, with one in critical condition, officials said. The gunbattle occurred in the dense Neeladri Gutta forest area within the Karakagudem block in the district.
According to the Bhadradri Kothagudem superintendent of police, Rohit Raj, the fierce gunfight broke out when a team of Greyhounds, an elite anti-Maoist squad unit formed from the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana police forces, was conducting a combing operation in the forest. The police recovered a substantial cache of arms and ammunition from the site.
In a media brief, the police informed that among the deceased Naxalites was Lachanna, a divisional committee member and commander of the Maoist squad and one of the most wanted leaders of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). Lachanna had a bounty of ₹10 lakh on his head and was involved in over 50 cases across various police stations. The identities of the other slain Naxalites are being verified, but they are believed to include Tulasi, Sukhram, Ramu, Durgesh, and Kosi, the police further said.
The bodies of the deceased Naxalites have been shifted to the Kothagudem government hospital for postmortem and to confirm their identities. The injured security personnel are receiving medical treatment, with one in critical condition.
This encounter follows a similar incident earlier in the week in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, where nine Naxalites were killed by security forces. These recent operations are part of a broader strategy to eradicate left-wing extremism in the region.
It may be recalled that the Union home minister, Amit Shah, had vowed to eliminate left-wing extremism by March 2026.
