3 Maoists killed along Telangana-Chhattisgarh border

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Three Maoists were killed on Thursday morning as security personnel from three states launched an operation along the inter-state border in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh following information that top Maoist commanders, Mandvi Hidma, Deva and Damodar, were present in the area, officials said.

Over 10,000 personnel from Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Telangana, and paramilitary forces entered the forest on Tuesday evening, in one of the bigger anti-Maoist operations. The encounter was going on till the time of going to print. While bodies of three extremists were recovered from the site, several other Maoists are also suspected to have been killed in the fierce gun battle, a police officer said.

“Over 10, 000 paramilitary forces including Greyhounds of Telangana, Bastar fighters of Chhattisgarh and C-60 force of Maharashtra were said to be involved in the anti-Maoist operations. Base camps were being set up near the hillocks of Karreguttalu area for logistic support to the security forces,” an official of the state intelligence department said on condition of anonymity.

Inspector general of police (IGP) Multi Zone-I, S Chandrashekhar Reddy, however, said that the Telangana police not involved in the ongoing operation at Karreguttalu forests. “It is purely a joint operation being carried out by the Chhattisgarh police and the CRPF. There is no involvement of Telangana police forces, including Greyhounds,” Reddy told reporters at Warangal, where 14 Maoist cadres, including two area committee members of the Maoist party, surrendered to the police on Thursday.

He said top police officers from Chhattisgarh had visited Venkatapur area in Mulugu district of Telangana bordering their state, but the Telangana government had no direct involvement in these operations. “We do not have any specific information regarding the ongoing operation,” he clarified.

The fierce and intense encounter has been going on in the Karreguttalu hill range of Bijapur, which had been a kind of shelter zone for the Maoists. The hillocks covered with dense forests are spread over 145 km and encompasses parts of Mulugu district.

“A few days ago, pamphlets in the name of Maoist party were circulated in the Telangana villages bordering Chhattisgarh, stating that they had planted landmines all around Karreguttalu and asked the villagers not to venture into that area,” a police official from Warangal, who did not wish to be quoted said.

This has created a tense situation in the villages, as they fear the pamphlets were a kind of warning to the police forces against conducting any kind of combing operations in the area. “Lending credence to their apprehensions, the Chhattisgarh police forces launched an offensive three days ago and the fierce battle has been going on since then,” he said.

The Telangana police believe that about 1,000 Maoists including high-profile Maoist leaders such as Hidma, Deva, and Damodar, each carrying a reward of ₹1 crore, were camping on the Karreguttalu hillocks.

“So far, 250 Maoists have surrendered this year. Efforts are being made to encourage more Maoists to surrender,” Chandrasekhar Reddy said, adding 95 Maoists from Telangana were still underground at present in Chhattisgarh forests.

Meanwhile, the Civil Liberties Committee of Telangana and other civil-society organisations on Wednesday made an appeal to the police forces to withdraw and suspend combing operations in the Karreguttalu area along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border.

State secretary of the civil liberties committee Madhan Kumaraswamy told reporters at Peddapalli that thousands of police and paramilitary personnel, supported by helicopters and drones, were unleashing a reign of terror in the border areas since April 22.

“The government should call off the military operations and initiate the dialogue process with Maoists, who have repeatedly expressed willingness to negotiate, both in writing and in recent interviews to YouTube channels,” Kumaraswamy said.

He warned that the ongoing offensives endanger tribal communities and could derail any future peace process.