By IANS,
Hyderabad : Two members of the Maoist group Praja Pratighatana were shot dead Wednesday in a forested area of Andhra Pradesh’s Warangal district, police said.
A police team engaged in combing operations in the Bhupatipur forests came face to face with a group of Maoists. In the exchange of fire that ensued, two Maoists were killed while some others managed to escape, a police official said, adding that they suffered no casualties.
The slain Maoists have been identified as Pratighatana state secretary Sudhakar alias Ashok and armed squad commander Chandranna.
Describing the incident as a big blow to the outfit in north Telangana, Warangal District Superintendent of Police V.C. Sajannar said one SLR (self loading rifle), one 8 mm pistol and three kit bags were recovered from the scene.
Pratighatana, a splinter group of guerrillas, has some presence in the north Telangana districts of Warangal, Karimnagar and Khammam.
Maoist activity in the state is on the wane as Communist Party of India-Maoist, the most powerful Maoist group, has lost over 300 cadres, including several top leaders, in the last four years.
Maoist violence in the state has claimed more than 6,000 lives during the last four decades.