Date:21/11/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/11/21/stories/2005112115760100.htm

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Top Maoist killed in encounter

Staff Reporter

ADILABAD: A top naxalite, Aggila Istari alias Salim,was killed in an exchange of fire between the special party police and Maoists in the Manigarh-Jogapur forest area under Kagaznagar police station limits in the early hours of Sunday.

He was a commander of the Maoist action team and team leader of security of Pulluri Prasada Rao alias Chandranna, the member of the North Telangana Special Zone Committee of the CPI (Maoist). Salim carried a reward of Rs. 3 lakhs on his head.

It is believed that seven others, including Chandranna, escaped narrowly.

The exchange of fire was a sequel to the one on Saturday evening following which police parties had surrounded the hillocks where the Maoists were holed up.

They could locate the naxalites soon after daybreak.

The police recovered from the scene of the exchange of fire two magazines of SLR rifle, 12 kitbags and a medicine kitbag and an unspecified number of Claymore mines.

According to the police, intense combing operations were being carried out in these forests under Wankidi mandal based on reliable information.

The slain naxalite hailed from Koutepalli of Bejjur mandal and had been underground for the last five years. The police were on the trail of the naxalites.