In a biggest operation undertaken by them during the current year, the Anti-Naxal Squad (ANS) commandos gunned down five Maoists, including 3 women, in the Kosmi-Kisneli forests falling under the jurisdiction of Dhanora region in the naxalite-infested district of Gadchiroili in eastern Maharashtra on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off, ANS’ C-60 unit commandos of the Gadchiroli police were conducting a combing operation in the Kosmi-Kisneli forests at 4 pm on Sunday when Maoists opened fire at them.
The ANS commandos opened retaliatory fire at the Maoists, who fled the scene soon afterwards.
“The C-60 commandos of the Gadchiroli police were conducting a combing operation in the Kosmi-Kisneli forests, when the Naxals opened fire at them. The Naxals soon fled from the spot after the police team launched a retaliatory attack,” the police said.
Later in the evening, the ANS commandos recovered the bodies of 5 Maoists comprising 3 women and two men, from the bushes. “ We are yet to identify the Maoists killed and verify if any cases or bounties were declared against them,” a senior ANS officer said.
There were no casualties or injuries on the security personnel side. Incidentally, Sunday’s was the first major operation carried out under Gadchiroli’s new Superintendent of Police Ankit Goyal.
He was assisted by Additional Superintendent of Police Maneesh Kalwaniya.
The ANO and Maharashtra police have in recent months intensified anti-Maoist operations in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, which is located on the border of Telangana and Chhattisgarh.
Earlier in the day, in the neighbouring Telangana state, the Security forces gunned down two Maoists in an exchange of fire that took place between them and a group of naxals in Mangapet Mandal of Mulugu district.