Day After Madvi Hidma's Encounter, 7 More Maoists Killed In Andhra

Seven more Maoists, including key IED expert Tech Shankar, were killed on Wednesday in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitharama Raju district, a day after top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma was gunned down in an exchange of fire in Maredumilli village in the state.

Those killed were identified as:

• Metturi Joga Rao alias Tech Shankar, native of Bathupuram in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam.
• Jyothi alias Saritha, earlier worked as guard commander to former Maoist chief Nambala Kesava Rao. He was 32 years old and a native of Burgulanka in Sukma district.
• Suresh alias Ramesh, earlier worked in Jagargunda in Chhattisgarh.
• Lokesh alias Ganesh, earlier worked as Jagargonda area militia commander.
• Sainu alias Vasu, earlier worked as Deputy Commander of Jagargonda.
• Anitha and Shammi, earlier worked in Jagargonda.

Read | "Ghost Of Bastar": The Rise And Fall Of Maoist Leader Madvi Hidma

The fresh encounter comes amid one of Andhra Pradesh's most detailed and month-long intelligence-led anti-Maoist operations, during which State Police have arrested 50 banned CPI (Maoist) cadres across Krishna, Eluru, NTR Vijayawada, Kakinada and Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema districts.

All 10 arrested are part of the banned outfit South Bastar and Dandakaranya networks.

Those arrested are of high ranks Special Zonal Committee Members, Divisional and Area Committee leaders, logistics handlers, communication operatives and armed platoon members, many of them linked to senior Maoist strategist and Central Committee member Madvi Hidma.

The arrests followed the major exchange of fire near Uttaluru in Maredumilli mandal on Tuesday, where six Maoists, including Hidma, were killed.

"Acting on sustained intelligence that dozens of Maoists had fled Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur and West Bastar after Hidma's death and were seeking shelter in Andhra Pradesh's urban pockets, a coordinated operation was launched'' said ADGP intelligence Mahesh Chandra Ladda.

He added that team commanders along with District police units and the Vijayawada Commissionerate carried out precision pick-ups across multiple districts, resulting in the arrest of 50 cadres, including 3 Special Zonal Committee Members, 5 Divisional Committee Members, 19 Area Committee Members and 23 regular party members.

Read | Intel Officer Shares Details On Op He Led To End Maoist Madvi Hidma

Significant recoveries from the arrested cadres include 39 firearms, 302 rounds, cordtex, Maoist documents, memory cards and Rs 12.72 lakh in cash.

Hidma's group has been linked to several major attacks, including the 2010 Dantewada massacre of 76 CRPF personnel, the 2013 Jhiram Ghati attack that killed 27 people, the 2017 Sukma ambushes and the 2021 Tarrem attack in which 22 personnel were killed. By the time of his death, Hidma carried a reward of over Rs 1 crore.