VISAKHAPATNAM: Two senior cadre Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Yarlagadda panchayat, Y Ramavaram mandal, Alluri Sitarama Raju district, on Wednesday.
The encounter began around 2:30 pm after security forces spotted Maoist movements and opened fire, which lasted for 20 minutes. Following the exchange, security personnel recovered the bodies of two Maoists — Takuri Pandana alias Jagan (57), a resident of Kommuluvada village in GK Veedhi Mandal, and Vagapodayam alias Ramesh of Kalimela block in Odisha. Pandana, a member of the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) Special Zonal Committee, carried a reward of Rs 20 lakh on his head.
Ramesh was identified as a division committee member. This encounter comes just six days after two other exchange of fire incidents in the same mandal.
Security forces recovered two AK-47 rifles and a.303 weapon from the site and launched a combing operation to trace 15-20 Maoists.