Six Maoists killed in encounter with police forces in Telangana's Bhadradri Kothagudem

NEW DELHI: Six maoist were killed on Thursday in an encounter with police forces in Telangana's Bhadradri Kothagudem, near the border with Chhattisgarh, reported news agency ANI citing police sources.
Two police personnel also sustained injuries during the exchange of fire. The encounter took place in the forest area near Raghunathpalem in Karakagudem mandal during a combing operation by the police.
This incident occurred just two days after security forces in Chhattisgarh eliminated nine Maoists, including six women, in an anti-Naxal operation conducted in the forests along the border of Dantewada and Bijapur.The joint operation involved various security units acting on intelligence about the presence of a large number of Maoists from different divisions.
Dantewada SP Gaurav Rai said multiple SLR rifles, .303 rifles and .315 Bore rifles were recovered from the Naxals. All security force personnel involved in the operation were safe.
Among those killed in the Chhattisgarh encounter was top Maoist leader Macherla Esobu from Telangana, also known as Jagan, Dada Randev, and Randhir. Esobu, a key member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), was in charge of the CPI (Maoist) Party's central military and the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.
Esobu had been active in the Maoist movement since the 1980s and carried a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh.