Seven More Maoists Killed in AP Encounter

Visakhapatnam: Seven members of a banned Communist outfit CPI (Maoist), including explosives expert Metturi Joga Rao, alias Tech Shankar, were killed in an armed encounter in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Wednesday.

The other casualties included Jyothi (also known as Saritha), who had previously served as a guard commander; Lokesh alias Ganesh, former Jagargonda area militia commander; Sainu alias Vasu, former deputy commander of Jagargonda; two persons identified as Anitha and Shammi; and an unidentified cadre.

The offensive against the militants was codenamed Operation Sambhav. The encounter occurred between 5 am and 5:45 am near a hill some 7.5 km off the Maredumilli police station. Joga Rao was a native of Bathupuram in Srikakulam district and one of the most-wanted Maoist operatives.

Security agencies identified him as head of the technical wing of the militant outfit’s Andhra-Odisha border special zonal committee. “He was a key figure in the outfit’s IED section and was responsible for manufacturing sophisticated explosive devices that were used in numerous attacks in recent years,” a police source said.

Beyond conventional landmines, Joga Rao reportedly employed advanced techniques to evade detection and maximise destructive capability.

The National Investigation Agency had been pursuing him in connection with his involvement in several high-profile attacks, including a 2014 ambush that claimed the lives of TD MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao, former MLA S Soma, and some BSF personnel.

According to security sources, Shankar's role extended beyond bomb-making. He trained younger Maoist cadres in IED fabrication and deployment, established communication systems in forested areas and participated in organisational planning in technical operations.

Security forces recovered weapons from the site, including two AK-47 rifles, five AK-47 magazines, 72 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, five SBBL guns, 34 rounds of SBBL ammunition, one 303 rifle, 24 rounds of 303 ammunition, 3kg of Cordex wire, 18 detonators and kit-bags.

The CPI (Maoist) armed wing has been linked to devastating attacks spanning more than a decade, including the 2010 massacre of 76 CRPF personnel in Dantewada, a 2013 ambush in Jhiram Ghati that claimed 27 lives, multiple attacks in Sukma in 2017, and a 2021 assault in Tarrem that killed 22 personnel.