A day after top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma was killed, a fresh gunfight erupted on Wednesday in the dense forest region of Maredumilli in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district, resulting in the death of seven Maoists, police confirmed.
At a press conference in Vijayawada, AP Intelligence ADG Mahesh Chandra Laddha said the encounter was an extension of Tuesday’s major anti-Maoist operation. “Seven Maoists have died until now, according to information received from the field,” he said, adding that three women Maoists were among those killed.
While identity verification is underway, one of the deceased has been confirmed as Meturi Jokha Rao, also known as ‘Tech’ Shankar, a native of Srikakulam. Preliminary inputs suggest Shankar served as an Area Committee Member (ACM) for the Andhra–Odisha Border (AOB) region and specialised in technical operations, arms manufacturing and communication.
Operation Linked to Hidma Encounter
Laddha said Wednesday’s action followed a chain of operations triggered by intelligence gathered after Tuesday’s encounter where Hidma and five others were gunned down. He added that 50 Maoists have been arrested across NTR, Krishna, Kakinada, Konaseema and Eluru districts, describing it as the largest Maoist-related arrest in Andhra Pradesh’s history.
Security forces recovered 45 weapons, 272 rounds of ammunition, two magazines, 750 grams of wire and other operational materials during the ongoing search operations.
According to Laddha, police had been monitoring Maoist movement from Chhattisgarh and launched the fresh operation after tracking recent activities and hideouts. Further details from the Maredumilli operation are awaited as forces continue combing operations in the region.
