Nellore: In one of the biggest encounters in recent times, twenty persons, all illegal woodcutters hired by red sanders smugglers, were killed in near-simultaneous encounters at two difference places in the Seshachalam forests early on Tuesday morning.
The encounters took place about 20 km from Srivarimettu, where the steps to the Lord Balaji temple at Tirumala begin. Eleven persons were killed in an area known as Eetamakulagunta and nine others were shot down at Cheekateegalakona in Chandragiri mandal of Chittoor district.
Officials said the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force personnel opened fire when the woodcutters, brandishing sickles and axes, attacked them with stones.
AP additional director-general of police (law and order) R.P. Thakur, said, “We had received information that a large number of smugglers were in the forest. Teams of the red sanders task force laid ambush at two places. The task force comprised forest officials and armed reserve police. Both the teams were led by DSP-rank officials.”
“When our teams asked them to surrender, they retaliated by hurling stones. They were armed with sickles and axes. When the task force opened fire, 20 of them were killed and a large number of them escaped. They were carrying red sanders logs.”
Eight police personnel were also injured in the incident and their condition was stated to be stable. Police sources said that among those who were killed, two were international red sanders smugglers.
Although the police assumes that those gunned down belonged to Arani, Tiruvannam-alai and Salem in Tamil Nadu, their identities are yet to be established.
