6 Maoists gunned down in Andhra operation (Ld)

Visakhapatnam, June 16 (IANS) A senior Maoist leader is among 6 naxals killed in an encounter that took place in Wednesday morning in Visakhapatnam district, while some more leaders are believed to have escaped from the spot, sources have said.Police are continuing search operations in the area where encounter took place.Six Maoists were gunned down by Andhra Pradesh Greyhounds police on Wednesday morning at Theegalametta forest area in Visakhapatnam district."Today (Wednesday) in the morning hours, an exchange of fire took place between CPI (Maoist) and Greyhounds parties at Theegalametta forest areas (Koyyru surrounding areas)," said an official statement.The encounter occurred under the police station limits of Mampa, surrounding the Koyyuru area, even as a search operation is underway.Among the six dead, police said there were female corpses as well.Andhra Pradesh DGP, Gautam Sawant said that police had launched combing operations in the area after receiving reliable inputs.The Greyhounds police recovered an AK-47 rifle, a self-loading rifle, one carbine and two more guns from the spot.
--IANS sth/skp/