2 Maoists killed during Malkangiri forest combing operations

Maoists have faced heavy losses this week with the death toll going up to 30 after the police found two more bodies of Naxalites on Thursday in the Malkangiri forests near the Andhra-Odisha Border during the fresh combing operations.

The Vishakhapatnam police confirmed that the combing operations were exercised to restrict movement of the left-wing extremists in the forest. However, it was not confirmed if the bodies recovered were from the firing on Thursday or earlier. On Monday, at least 24 Maoists, including eight women, were killed in an encounter. Four more were killed on Tuesday.

During the gun battle on Monday, a Greyhounds commando died near the Andhra-Odisha border.

A team of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha Police carried out the combing operation on Thursday after receiving intelligence inputs from a source. 

The extremists belonged to the banned group Community Party of India (Maoist). A senior leader Ramakrishna aka RK reportedly escaped the gun battle. The group threatened Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh on Thursday after the Malkangiri encounters. 

"If necessary, we will use a suicide bomber to attack you (Naidu). No police or military force can save you this time," a press release said. He said that Maoist members' food was first poisoned and then the encounter took place. He called it a "fake encounter".

Previously, in October 2003, CPI (Maoist) AP State committee official spokesperson Shyam said Naidu escaped the attempt on his life at Alipiri in Chittoor district.